Mon entretien de stage! [Interview for my Internship]

I should be doing research right now for a 10-minute oral presentation tomorrow on « Identité et Mémoire sous la 5e République », my third oral presentation so far! But first, I have exciting news. Yesterday was my interview (actually more of a meeting, since I’d already gotten the internship) with the director of the organization where I’ll be working.

*Point of clarification: From here on out I will probably be using only the French word for internship, which is “stage” (rhymes with Taj, as in the Taj Mahal).  It just sticks in my head as a better word, even when speaking English.

Anyway, my stage will be at the Centre d’Analyse Strategique du Premier Ministre [Center for Strategic Analysis for the Prime Minister, abbreviated CAS], which is a governmental think tank. It’s a really unique organization because it is at the same time both a think tank and a government agency. The CAS does research and analysis on public policies in the domains of: economic, social, environmental (including sustainable development!) and technologic policy issues.

**Side note on French politics: the Prime Minister to President Sarkozy is currently François Fillon, a member of the political party on the right which is called l’UMP (Le Mouvement Populaire). But attention! When I say it’s a party on the right, that doesn’t correspond directly with the conservative “right” that exists in the U.S.  Their platforms, which I have yet to fully understand myself, can be quite different.

Anyway, the director of CAS is Monsieur Pierre-François Mourier, former Consulat Général of France in San Francisco as well as a senior advisor and speech-writer to former President Jacques Chirac.   Needless to say, I was quite nervous meeting someone so important. During my internship, though, I’ll be working in the department for International Affairs with a younger woman who seems really nice.

Despite my being really nervous for the meeting, everything seemed to have gone really well and today I signed my contract as a stagiaire (intern)! I’m so excited! This opportunity is more than I could have hoped for!