Évelyne le Bezvoët, 2024-2026 pre-doctoral scholarship beneficiary

Her Academic Career

Évelyne Le Bezvoët grew up in Nancy; after high school, she was accepted into a scientific preparatory class for nationwide competitive exams at the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand. She completed her first year in the MPSI path (Math, Physics, and Engineering Sciences), then specialised in the MP path with a computer science option, in which she will find her calling.

“Very early on, I developed a passion for solving computing problems, even more so than the math problems I had studied in the past. The computer science option was a turning point in my orientation, and I knew I wanted to pursue studies in this field.

Her goal in preparatory classes was clear: to be accepted at an École Normale Supérieure to pursue research. When she was accepted at the ENS Paris-Saclay and the ENS Rennes, Évelyne chose the ENS Paris-Saclay because of its proximity to the capital and its unique scientific ecosystem.

A Passion for Research and Science

Once she was accepted at the ENS Paris-Saclay’s computer science department via the portfolio application process, Évelyne completed a pre-master year and the first year of her master’s degree, focusing on research. After a master’s internship at the EPFL in Lausanne (under the tutelage of Pr. Rachid Guerraoui), she chose to complete her pre-doctoral research year abroad (ARPE program) at the TUM in Munich (under the tutelage of Pr. Javier Esparza), where she is currently studying distributed computing, with an emphasis on population protocols. A pre-doctoral research year abroad allows students to grow more autonomous, to immerse themselves in other cultures and discover different research models. Every step of the way, Pr. Mihaela Sighireanu, director of the computer science department at the ENS Paris-Saclay, worked with Évelyne to help her with her choice of internship and her application for a pre-doctoral grant.

 

An Impactful Scholarship

The support of a pre-doctoral scholarship was significant for Évelyne: “As a non-civil-servant student with no financial support, the School’s scholarship allows me to complete my year abroad without worrying about any financial aspect. Now I can be entirely focused on my research.”

On top of the financial support provided, this scholarship is accompanied by the tutelage of a collaborator of our partner research organism, the IRSN. Though they have not yet started work together, Évelyne looks forward to this collaboration, which she sees as a key step to elaborating a doctoral research project. Resolute in her motivation to pursue a doctorate, Évelyne intends to pursue a career in research and hopes that her work will contribute significantly to the advancement of research in her field. Thanks to this scholarship, our beneficiary can confidently work towards a doctorate. 

“I’ve made my decision, I want to get a doctorate. I am not sure yet where I will complete it, and I don’t know what subject exactly I’ll be working on, but I am ready to take up this challenge.”

Personal Commitment and a Desire to Transmit Knowledge

Her taste for mathematics dates back to her childhood, when her father, a mathematics teacher, made sure to introduce her to everything this subject could offer. She took part in many events organized by the Animath association and the Discrete Mathematics Club in high school (TFJM², French Mathematics Olympics Preparation, Young Women in Maths and Computer Science meetings, Animath summer school). It is now Évelyne’s turn to give back to the association and help organize these events.

“Many girls I met at the ENS Paris-Saclay had already met through the Young Women in Maths and Computer Science meetings. I am so happy to be able to share my passion and inspire more girls to enter scientific fields.”

Business Sponsorship: a Program to Support Young Researchers

This scholarship program was made to support students motivated to pursue a career in research, whether in the academic or industrial sector. This program makes it easier to pursue a doctorate by offering financial and academic support. Selected students benefit from:

• A scholarship which allows them to focus solely on their studies and research.
• Personalised support from a tutor among the School’s teaching staff and part of a teaching and research department (DER in French).

These collaborations strengthen the ties between the ENS Paris-Saclay and its partners, while opening new doors for students.