The German-French friendship - a participant's perspective I
With the 2017 edition of the German-French Young Leaders Conference approaching, we would like to meet our future participants and find out why the German-French relationship matters to them. We exchanged with Anuchika, a first-time GFYL Conference participant and future graduate from Grenoble Business School, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and Columbia University in New York. She is currently doing an apprenticeship at the Bank of France as an International Relations Economist.
Anuchika, what motivated you to participate in the GFYL programme? Why did you decide to register for this year’s conference?
I was first told about the conference last year by my supervisor who was Innovation Consultant at the Data Privacy National Commission. As a matter of fact, he nominated me out of the blue that was actually one of the greatest surprises I could ever get. He knew that the conference would really excite me, and obviously he was not wrong at all. I believe that gathering with hardworking people who use their talents to reach their full potential feeds passion for greatness and ambition for excellence.
Why do German-French relations matter? What do German-French relations mean to you?
Germany and France have a very complex but also very interesting relationship. Whether in terms of their war and conflict history, or with regard to their economic, social or political relations, I believe that if we ignore the crucial role and evolution the German-French couple has played over the centuries, essential and very important parts of the European identity would be ignored.
What are you expecting from this year’s conference?
With the French presidential elections and the dose of uncertainty that the political world holds currently, I expect from this year's conference to give me tools of enlightenment to be a better French citizen - but also a better European Union citizen - to spread and raise awareness as a future leader that I'd like to be for my country.
What are you hoping to take out from the programme?
The GFYL conference represents a unique opportunity for me to widen my perspective towards German-French relations - something that I have not really approached so far. As a geopolitical freak, I'd love to discover different perspectives from people with different experiences and go back home with better knowledge and understanding of what was, what is, what will be at stake in the German-French discourse.
Thank you, Anuchika, and see you on Thursday!
