When Louise Derambur arrived at University of St. Thomas from the Catholic Institute of Higher Studies, ICES, in La Roche-sur Yon, France, she brought with her no expectations regarding her experience in the United States. “I never go abroad with expectations because I feel like the disappointment would be so great,” Derambur said. “I wouldn’t be able to cope.”
What she did bring with her was a deep sense of curiosity, courage and a desire to understand how countries develop and maintain diplomatic relations, especially when the cultures differ dramatically. This was not always her goal though. Growing up Derambur wanted to be a veterinarian, but after a harrowing encounter with mathematics, she decided to pursue her penchant for languages instead, going on to earn a bachelor's degree in Chinese Studies.
From there she enrolled in a dual Master of Arts in Diplomacy & Strategic Affairs, a partnership between ICES and UST, beginning with a semester in France, a full year in the U.S., culminating with a final semester in France where she could gain first-hand experience navigating the cultural differences that intrigued her.
While at UST, Derambur focused her studies on the intersection of wars and women’s rights, specifically how two existing ongoing conflicts, the Ukrainian-Russian War and the Conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Her research suggests that despite all the international conventions around peace and human rights, the rise of conflicts in a region often correlates with a backlash toward women’s rights.
Dr. Yao-Yuan Yeh, director of the Master of Diplomacy & Strategic Affairs Program, led Derambur’s master-level capstone project while she was at UST.
“I found her theoretical and analytical insights superb, and her ability to articulate precise narratives that describe actual situations fascinating as well,” Dr. Yeh said. “She is also adventurous; she took the opportunity provided by the Mandarin Center and went to Taiwan to study Mandarin for eight weeks. Doing a study abroad literally during another study abroad is courageous, and it speaks to her determination for success.”
Experiencing the Culture First-Hand
While she came into this experience with no expectations, Derambur was still struck by the diversity of cultures, backgrounds and experiences in Houston and at UST. Houston is among the most diverse cities in the U.S. with more than 145 languages spoken throughout the city.
“In France there is this cliché that Texas is all white cowboys,” Derambur said. “And when you live here, you listen to people's stories and realize there is so much more than that. Especially in Houston, it is very diverse, and you have plenty of communities and different stories that are so interesting. You just need to be open to the human in front of you, to their history and just be willing to learn about them.”
In addition to cultural diversity, the difference in the academic approach was exciting too.
Part of the reason she chose this master’s program was because of the quality of the professors and the professional experiences in the field of diplomacy they brought with them into the classrooms. “I discovered so much more about research than I would have in France,” Derambur said. “This can be a challenging field to get into because, especially with anything regarding politics, it's all about your network. When you don’t have a big network, which was my case, it can be scary. This partnership has been a stress relief because I know I have this tool, these skills I developed that I can put in the forefront during job interviews.”
A Bright World Ahead
As her time at UST comes to an end, Derambur plans to return to France to continue her studies. From there, she plans to look for jobs that let her use her talents and the skills she developed throughout her research and analysis studies.
“I hope I am able to be part of a system that aims to protect humans because they are human,” Derambur said. “I can provide research that supports human rights and makes the world safer and more peaceful for everybody, and support ideas that can be used by the next generation to continue to improve things.”
To learn more about the MA in Diplomacy and Strategic Affairs, visit the UST academic catalog.