Perrine Sbraire, a Global Business programme graduate, now works in the humanitarian sector.

Perrine graduated from our Global Business programme and went on to study for an MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). After several internships with various charities, she now works as a project development officer in Ukraine. Perrine's aim in sharing her experience is to inspire and encourage others. She wants to show that her career path is not an isolated example, but that it represents a valid option for others wishing to achieve similar goals.

Why did you choose the EDHEC International BBA programme?

The EDHEC International BBA appealed to me because of the number of internships on offer. By the age of 22, I’d already accumulated a year and a half of professional experience, which to my mind is a great advantage on the job market.

Studying on three continents with the Global Business programme gives students a unique perspective, allowing them to experience different education systems across the globe. The experience fosters agility and helps us develop the capacity to adapt, two qualities I consider essential in any career. This aspect of the programme played a decisive role in my decision to enrol.

What are the programme’s main strengths?

When asked about the programme’s strengths, I think of four aspects that my former internship tutor considered indispensable, and which, in my eyes, make EDHEC stand out, especially the Global Business programme. They are the international experience, the opportunity to get real work experience, the language aspect, and the school’s reputation.

I would also emphasise the importance of associations at EDHEC, which are a major aspect of the programme. My involvement in the music association, where I was in charge of communications, gave me the chance to put what I’d learnt in class into practice by creating communication campaigns using videos, photos, posters, a website, and so on.

Finally, I would emphasise the extent to which the programme broadened my outlook on the world, giving me a better understanding of the global context in which we evolve, mainly thanks to the different highly enriching encounters with teachers and professionals.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

The people I’ve met thanks to the course. The second year was especially memorable as the whole class went to the UCLA Extension in Los Angeles.

A particularly inspirational highlight was taking part in the forum of associations, attended by hundreds of sports and charity organisations. It was there that I joined UNICEF, and I organised a forum on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with them to raise awareness among UCLA students. I also had the opportunity to work as a photographer for UCLA's Community Program Service, which focuses on the inclusion of minorities on campus. They were incredible opportunities and I'm so grateful that I had the chance to do it all.

How did you decide on your specialisation?

At first, the programme is general. Specialisation comes from the work placements and preparing the dissertations, which help us find the sector that best matches our career aspirations. My end-of-year internship at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was the catalyst for me.

My dissertation focused on poverty reduction through the social enterprise system. Social enterprises are commercial organisations that aim to have an impact on social or environmental issues in an economically viable way by reinvesting profits in their social goals rather than distributing them to shareholders.

I then decided to do a Master of Science (Master 2) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to learn more about geopolitics and to boost my credentials for a job in the humanitarian sector.

Why did you choose this course after EDHEC?

This MSc immediately caught my attention because it was a perfect complement to my EDHEC degree. While EDHEC gave me practical experience and built up my skills through internships and courses, I needed a better grasp of contemporary geopolitical issues, the dynamics of migration, and handling a project from A to Z. I also wanted to gain in-depth knowledge of humanitarian stakeholders and their respective roles and responsibilities.

My aim was to do all I could to boost my legitimacy once I’d completed the MSc, so that I’d feel comfortable in the field with a command of the ethical, gender, protection, environmental, and vulnerability issues. I'm convinced that without proper training and in-depth knowledge of the context, you can do more harm than good in the humanitarian sector. The two programmes are truly complementary and not contradictory, contrary to what some people might think.

What did the Masters course cover?

There was a core curriculum of three courses and then we could choose other options, so I signed up for courses on:

• Key issues in development studies
• Managing humanitarianism
• Forced migration and refugees
• Advocacy, campaigning and grassroots activism
• Population, health and development: evidence and projections
• Cutting edge issues in development thinking and practice

Once I’d chosen the courses, I went to lectures (a sort of amphitheatre attended by between 25 and 80 students) and seminars, where around fifteen of us discussed the reading we’d done before coming to class. We often had to present our arguments in persuasive presentations. The other students came from all over the world, and the diversity of our experiences really enriched the debates.

Course preparation involved intensive reading and a critical approach to the authors, whether through analysing the methodology of the study, the context in which it was written, or the argument itself. I really enjoyed this different way of learning and find it very useful in my job today.

The study programme also gave me the opportunity to work as a remote consultant for UNICEF in New York, along with three other students. My role was to manage relations with UNICEF, understand their expectations, and research global trends in advocacy and communications. The aim was to contribute to an analysis of the global situation in communications and advocacy in 2023, which would then be disseminated internally in all UNICEF offices. It involved researching secondary data to support our arguments, followed by a presentation to UNICEF.

For a few days, the programme director also put us through a simulation by setting up a refugee camp with limited resources over the course of a weekend.

At LSE, I also joined several associations, including the UN association (LSEUN) that organised a number of debates, and the theatre association, where we put on a musical in 24 hours.

In the evenings, after classes, I took part in a lot of debates with well-known personalities working for different governments, the UN, etc.

At the end of my Master's degree, I wrote a dissertation to understand the coordination dynamics of humanitarian aid in Colombia. My research question was: "How do coordination mechanisms impact the engagement and continuity of Venezuelan refugee and migrant children and adolescents in the Colombian education system?"

I also found time to work as a waitress while I was studying.

What’s your role at Acted today?

I’ve been Project Development Officer for Acted in Ukraine since September 2023.
 

Acted is a French humanitarian organisation (NGO) that’s been working in Ukraine since 2015 and it has multi-sectoral expertise. It works to respond to humanitarian crises and to build resilience, to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, co-construct effective governance, and support the construction of civil society around the world. Acted thus seeks to increase the participation and involvement of local stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and management of humanitarian operations. In 2022, with a budget of over €550 million (including over €100 million for Ukraine), Acted reached 17.8 million people in 42 countries. The organisation focuses on partnerships with local stakeholders, including NGOs, civil society, community leaders, and governments, ensuring that resources and decision-making are increasingly decentralised. This collaborative approach empowers communities, gives them ownership of projects, and fosters positive, sustainable, and resilient change.

My job is to identify, plan and develop projects that have a positive impact on communities, both nationally and in the west of Ukraine. It's a role that's very close to my heart as it means I can contribute to people's well-being and work on vital issues such as financial help, disaster risk reduction, coordination of community centres for displaced people, and sustainable livelihoods that involve creating long-term economic opportunities.

In order to identify new projects for Ukraine, I go to coordination meetings, regularly monitor emerging trends, and answer calls for tender from various donors such as the European Commission (ECHO), UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA, BHA, and private foundations. This involves working with teams to design projects that effectively meet the needs of the Ukrainian population. It’s important to note that Acted is 98% dependent on institutional donors.

Once the projects have been defined, I oversee their progress through continual contact with the teams responsible for implementing and evaluating the programme. This means organising project launch and closure meetings, as well as meetings with our partners (who develop the project with Acted) and our donors (who provide the funding). It's essential I keep a close eye on how the different projects are doing so that I can inform the donors if there are any delays or unforeseen financial requirements due to events such as bombing in a new area or a warehouse fire. I also write interim and final reports so donors can better understand and monitor our actions.

My responsibilities can also include ancillary tasks such as training my colleagues in the various project cycles, giving input to help develop the country strategy, or managing specific themes. In addition, I go on field trips to meet our partners, consolidate ties, and gain a better understanding of how each activity works.

One concrete example of a project that I'm responsible for involves supporting 52 civil society organisations (CSOs) through grants. The donor is OCHA. These CSOs work in one or more of the following four areas: FSL (Food Security and Livelihoods), Shelter, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), and Protection. I’m really happy to be able to support these CSOs through training and helping them develop their skills, especially budgeting, report writing, and identifying funding opportunities. This approach, known as localisation, is designed to strengthen the impact of local organisations within their communities.