“Dare to experience life outside France”.

Hello Jeanne. Before telling us more about your role in the Erasmus program for AgroParisTech, could you tell us about your background before joining our school?

J.B : Before joining AgroParisTech, I was studying for a DUT in biological engineering with an agronomy option. During this course, I chose to leave my comfort zone and do my last semester in another European country, so I studied for almost six months in Slovenia. It was a very enriching experience, both academically (small classes in English on organic farming, foot safety, plant physiology and nutrition for non-ruminants), professionally and on a human level.

What did you learn in these areas?

J.B : During my studies, I was already sensitive to the idea of going abroad. This Erasmus experience opened up my horizons and, above all, completely changed my outlook on life. Initially, I really thought I wanted a career in France. I realized that it was more than enriching to talk to people from countries and cultures other than my own, and that we had different but complementary points of view. It was very interesting to have debates and discussions on a whole range of subjects, such as: how do we see our lives? How do we evolve and study in countries other than France? I realized that there were lots of possibilities for a more cosmopolitan and international professional world, and that it was much, much more appealing to me than working in an exclusively French environment. I can’t put into words exactly how different the interactions are between us Erasmus students from so many different countries, but I think it has to do with our communication, with the fact that we don’t speak in our mother tongue, but we all have to speak English. Already, it puts us all on an equal footing and brings a greater calm and rationality to our discussions and reflections… Why? Probably because we have to think more about how we communicate, and we take the time to choose our words. This makes interactions more soothing and benevolent.

When you arrived at AgroParisTech, you became a member of the UDE (Union des Elèves, the association that manages student life on campus) and started organizing trips by and for students.

J.B : Yes, I’m becoming a member and I’m active in the “Pôle voyages”, because I’ve already got some ideas in mind! I wanted to organize a trip of several days in Europe, just between students, with the idea of also meeting local people and recreating, somewhere, the Erasmus “atmosphere” that I had enjoyed so much. It was complicated to organize, but we succeeded! We went to Prague for four days, and it was another great experience. It was a gamble to go on a low-key trip (by coach), without an “adult” mentor, but it all worked out very well and my message, which was to show that it’s not so complicated to travel in Europe, got through.

It was during your internship at the Salon de l’Agriculture in February 2024 that you learned that you could become an Erasmus ambassador. How did you become an ambassador?

J.B: It all started at the Salon de l’Agriculture 2024, where, like many first-year students, I did an internship. Marine Godaux (Director of the International and European Relations Department) asked us to talk about our Erasmus experience on the European Commission stand, which delighted me, because I wanted to tell everyone my story! During my testimony, I was spotted by the Erasmus + agency’s communications manager, who asked me to become an ambassador. Obviously, I was interested and left my contact details! I was contacted again during the summer and told I could start in September, on a one-year assignment.

What does the role of Erasmus + ambassador involve?

J.B : As a representative of the program, we have to go out and meet as many students as possible at events organized by the European Commission, whether at trade fairs, student life events, in high schools, etc. We’re very free in terms of the form we take, but the idea is to raise awareness and unite students around the Erasmus program.

If you had to describe the Erasmus experience in three words, what would they be?

J.B: I’d say very spontaneously: spontaneity, open-mindedness and above all… a good atmosphere! When you live an Erasmus experience, it’s always in a good spirit, the enthusiasm is contagious, you’re focused on the present moment… It’s the moment when I can say that we’re “real”, there are no pretenses because the objective is really to live convivial moments!

How did your studies at AgroParisTech help you in this role?

J.B : What I learned at AgroParisTech also helps me in my missions: we’re encouraged to reach out to others right from our first year, with lots of group work, the first-year project… We also meet people in the field, so we always have to be curious and open. It should also be said that AgroParisTech prepares us really well for oral presentations, which is also a plus. In the end, promoting Europe at AgroParisTech is something that seems quite natural to me, and it even enriches our curriculum, which deals more with French issues.

How important are international exchanges in the life sciences?

J.B : It’s of the utmost importance. Every country has its own issues, and taking an interest in them helps us to step back and take a global view. For example, in Spain they’re going to put a lot more emphasis on water, whereas in Sweden we’re dealing much more with the interactions between farms and businesses. Knowing this gives us a more complete, global vision. We have a lot to learn from other countries, whether in terms of research or innovation. For me, going abroad should be essential for a future engineer. I’m currently looking for internships in Europe for my 2nd and 3rd years, and also for my gap year. In fact, I was a bit apprehensive about going to Slovenia, but I was far too enthusiastic about the experience to stop there! I need to discover our continent. Every European country, no matter how small, has something to offer, so I’m open to anything, even the smallest, seemingly unknown country. If someone offers me Estonia tomorrow, I’m all for it!

What advice would you give to young students who are apprehensive about traveling?

J.B : Dare to experience life outside France: I’ve traveled a lot in Europe and everywhere was safe, it was always positive. Dare to leave your comfort zone, you won’t regret it!