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Ms. Stepanie Renaut has attended two Africa Center programs: Cyberspace Security Priorities for Africa’s National Security Actors (August 2021) and the Emerging Security Sector Leaders Seminar (June 2022).
Please introduce yourself. My name is Stéphanie Audrey Renaut. I have been a Strategic Analyst at Côte d’Ivoire’s National Financial Information Processing Unit for 14 years. This unit oversees cleaning up the financial sector, as its mission is to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. My role in the unit is to conduct safety analyses and disseminate detailed reports to the relevant authorities.
What have you done (your responsibilities) since you took part in your first Africa Center program? My time at the Africa Center has been a source of various personal and professional benefits. Above all, it’s been a huge added value in terms of relationships. In terms of personal and professional relationships, this experience has enabled me to be more effective in dealing with issues related to my job. Information that used to be difficult to obtain has been facilitated by the network of contacts of the Africa Center.
Did the Africa Center help you hone your skills and knowledge? In terms of profession, I’ve benefited from a salary and professional upgrading, as I’ve gone from being a lawyer to a strategic analyst. My time at the Africa Center helped me acquire a qualification recognized in the profession. This move has increased my value on the job market. Within my company, it also means additional recognition of my new skills, knowledge, and know-how, which has thus increased employability.
My time at the Africa Center enabled me to:
- Enhance my professional career
- Adapt to changes in the business
- Support change in my institution
- Improve my knowledge of best practices
- Address specific problems
- Improve my performance
How would you describe your experience with the Africa Center on security issues in Africa? My time with the Africa Center helped me understand the current and emerging dangers in Africa. My understanding of how complex Africa’s security environment is has improved dramatically. In addition, my experience with the Africa Center has given me a better understanding of the difficulties involved in implementing safety-related programs.
In your opinion, what is/are the most pressing security concern(s) for the African continent, now and in the future? The expansion of terrorist activities and increasingly sophisticated piracy in Africa, migration, and environmental issues are the most pressing security concerns for the African continent.
Have you had any contact with people from the programs in which you participated, for example, the Africa Center staff, speakers or other participants? Yes, that’s absolutely one of the things I liked most about my time with the Africa Center, the quality of the people I met and the network we built up. Discussions with other international participants honed my critical faculties, my intellectual curiosity, and my general knowledge.