IB graduate profile - Yuvan Beejadhur

Graduated from Le Bocage International School, Republic of Mauritius in 1998.

"I graduated from Le Bocage International School, in Moka, Mauritius, in November 1998. I have very fond memories of my high school, which was located at the foot of a mountain. My years at Bocage were among the most important ones. It gave me an insight as to what I wanted to do with my life. With other students, I traveled to Kenya for the East African Model United Nations and to Paris for the Harvard Model Congress Europe where delegates represented organizations such as NATO, G8, and the US Supreme Court. I won an award as a best speaker at that conference. In Mauritius I also won a best delegate award for the Model UN. All of these experiences really helped prepare me for my studies at the American University of Paris in France, where I graduated in 2002 with a BA in International Affairs and a minor in International Economics.

AUP was a great place to study with all its international students from all corners of the world, in a romantic city, confronted with so many different cultures and languages. The interaction was amazing and enriching. My best memories are the World’s Fair of last year where, along with some friends, I represented the delegation of Palestine. It was a mixture of intense emotions and illusion to pretend to be Palestinian while the state did not really exist in reality! Yet we had lots of fair play on all sides and really cherished the moment.

The same year I headed the Israeli delegation for the Middle East Peace Process, a very special debate proposed by AUP on the long-lasting conflict. It felt strange to deal with a 50-year conflict in the space of a few hours of debate! With the Debating Society, we went to the semi-finals against the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA). Two years back, we went with some students to Egypt for an Arab League Conference to learn more about the politics of the region. I also have to mention the superb trip we had to Boston for the Harvard National MUN where we debated against students from every corner of the world. These debating conferences not only helped my debating skills but also strengthened my knowledge of world affairs.

One memorable trip I had was to the Thailand-Burmese border in 2002. I went to write my senior seminar thesis on the destruction of the national identity of the Karen refugees. I have seen things like I have never seen before, like people with no faces, having been tortured for political and religious reasons. These refugees live in the worst of human conditions with barely any food, water or electricity, with the constant fear of being persecuted, and yet, they keep the faith and the humble smile that can only change one’s perception of life.

Currently I am studying national and European politics of the European Union at the Sorbonne University. It is a Diplôme d’Etude Approfondie (equivalent of a Masters) and I hope to finish by October 2003. There is lot of research to do and I went back home to Mauritius to get primary information. The paper will focus on the EU’s foreign policy of development towards Indian Ocean countries like Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles. I am very interested in how the EU will develop its agreements after 2008, when the duration of the Cotounou Agreements will expire. These ACP countries will be facing more problems and what model of development to adopt is what my paper will address.

I plan to meet all my friends and teachers from Bocage and AUP soon. And I can only wish all of you good luck in what you are undertaking and hopefully you are making the most of every passing moment. "