Unveiling Horizons: A Candid Conversation with Our Director

What better way to bridge the gap between administration and students than getting to know our new Director Youssef Halaoua a little better? Sitting with Mr Halaoua, the conversation opens with a glimpse into his formative years.

“Growing up my favourite hobbies were cooking, reading, and sports.” Whilst it was easy to see how the sports honed his confident tone and leadership skills, how does cooking influence one’s path toward a political sciences degree?

“I discovered that working in that industry is really difficult work.” In wanting to pursue his passion for cooking Mr Halaoua was faced with the raw realities hidden behind the youthful idealization of professions, something significant in urging him to consider other interests that he could follow professionally to maintain equilibrium with his passions. As a young boy, Mr. Halaoua was also an avid reader, gaining a critical understanding of world politics through the transformative tales of the Mafalda comics by cartoonist Quino, “I loved Spanish when I was younger due to these comics (…) I think my political sense came from Mafalda.” Another notable read that kindled our Director’s interest in politics was Alexander Dumas, ‘Le Comte de Monte Cristo,’ a tale underscoring the enduring struggle for justice and the moral complexities inherent in seeking retribution within a deeply flawed socio-political framework.

Finding himself as a student in Menton in 2006, just a year after the opening of the campus, he grounded himself in a new reality. Coming from the suburbs of Paris with little international exposure prior to university, the melting pot of cultures defining our small campus of Menton was unrivalled for Mr Halaoua, as I know is the case for many of us arriving here this year. Merely from the exposure to students from all over the world and world-class professors like Marc Lazar, he described his experience simply as: “In Menton the world came to me.”

“I remember thinking, what would be a dream first job for me? What would I remember for my whole life?” Turning to a story of dauntlessness, after six years in Sciences Po, three years dedicated to becoming a civil servant, and failure after failure to do so, Mr. Halaoua found himself at a personal and professional slough. However, this proved to be a pivotal moment. Despite the disheartening experience of multiple setbacks, he built resilience and took on his future with hard work and determination.

So, at 7 p.m. on a Friday, out of a cloud of confusion, arose the opportunity to apply to the Parisian Olympic Candidacy committee. This was also accompanied by a unique set of challenges – tireless research, emails, letters and attempts for meetings, only to be faced with silence. With a mindset of ‘nothing to lose’ and strong-will, Mr. Halaoua posted a video on YouTube boldly delineating the reasons he should be considered to join the committee. After months of no response, this unprecedented move beckoned a call the next day. Subsequently, Mr. Halaoua found himself in Lima as one of the seven speakers at the official conference for the commencement of the planning for the Olympic 2024 games. An awe-inspiring story of ambition – check out the videos to see for yourselves!

Coming to the present, how does our Director contextualize his own prior experiences in Menton to bolster his abilities in his current post? Going beyond that, does he believe Menton is a good location for a campus at all?

“Firstly and most importantly I understand that students’ time in Menton is short.” As a transient ‘in-between’ given our maximum of two-years on this campus, amidst Mr Halaoua’s priorities is the happiness of the people of Menton — the staff and the students, but also the broader Menton community, through integration events, celebration of the arts and promotion of sports. Here I mentioned the common-held complaint amidst Menton students of the restrictive nature of our small town, and to that Mr. Halaoua agreed – “yes, Menton is small, far from Paris, but it is only the beginning. Enjoy what this town has to give you, not what it doesn’t.” Menton is incomparable to any other place due to the small delights it gives us — a multicultural experience, beautiful scenery, ease of movement to incredibly scenic places near us.

“Maximize what can get here and not in Paris, because before you know it you’ll be in Paris and dealing with the very different but very real problems existing there, like three hours of commuting daily, as opposed to 20 minutes!” So, the bottom-line is let’s appreciate the smallness of Menton, the 5-10 minute walks to campus, the night-swims, the bumping-into-one-another-wherever-we-go because before we know it we’ll all be somewhere else!

Us Sciences Pistes are fuelled by our passions for politics, society, economics, all as tools to understand and navigate the world better. Amidst the cornucopia of knowledge and experiences we garner in our two years here, Mr. Halaoua advises that we maintain our humility when going into our internships/years abroad and later when transitioning into the workforce. “Working in an embassy in my year abroad and then later in my work with the Olympic Committee, I was met with the saying ‘the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know’. Essentially a reminder of the fact that humility must be at the basis of our actions.” Concurrently, in transitioning into the workplace one should remain curious and perseverant — “stay open to new experiences, meeting people and be prepared to face bad news.” As for the challenges of navigating one’s orientation during and following their studies, our Director outlined the idea of opportunity cost – “the things you are missing out on today are not necessarily excluding you from anything in the future.”

Finally, to get a more personal insight into who our Director is, what is his greatest strength/weakness and his favorite pastime activity? As hinted through Mr Halaoua’s reading interests growing up, curiosity is at the basis of his being, prompting him to seek knowledge at every cross-road he finds himself in. However, there is a flip-side that often comes with a great openness and passion for learning, “I get too personally invested in matters sometimes and get easily disappointed — as when your student leaders came to me with lists of complaints, I was happy to listen yet couldn’t help but be disappointed with how many things need be improved. As for a favorite hobby, travelling ranks highest in Mr Halaoua’s interests. “I love travelling. If I were to die tomorrow, Istanbul would be the place to go.” Bridging his love of food, culture and history, Istanbul holds a precious place in Mr Halaoua’s heart. As for his upcoming adventure, Torino is on the horizon!

As we conclude our conversation with Director Youssef Halaoua, his journey highlights an important reminder. We should cherish our time in Menton, appreciating its unique charm, and seizing each fleeting moment with zeal. Simultaneously, his story inspires the balance of humility on our ambitious journeys, remembering to be receptive to life’s boundless lessons in our enduring pursuit of knowledge.