The young Cameroonian, a PhD student in neuroscience-neurophysiology in Nice, shared her thoughts with us after receiving this award, which establishes her as one of the best researchers of her generation.
No, one really cannot say that Carine is conceited; on the contrary, she displays modesty that resonates with serenity. It was with great pleasure that we met with Carine after she received, alongside nine other young women, the L’Oréal-Unesco prize, which rewards the best scientists from universities and research centers each year.
The very pleasant surprise, by the way, was to have in front of us a young woman perfectly comfortable in her own skin, proud and happy with this award, but who hasn’t at all fallen into that kind of “stardom” that leads people to consider themselves stars simply for accomplishing something different.
Carine, on the contrary, embodies someone who knows that one event, prestigious as it may be, does not erase future challenges and that the journey toward personal and professional achievement is still far from complete.
Carine Nguemeni: Of course, when I came to France from Cameroon, I couldn’t have imagined I would arrive here. But I knew I had to fully commit myself to succeed, for me and for my family who supported my choice to leave my country to further my university education in France.
I have been here for 4 years, initially in Reims where I completed my bachelor’s degree, and then in Nice where I plan to obtain my PhD in 2011.
After that, I will have to choose between staying in academic research or working in a pharmaceutical company’s laboratory.
I admit that I haven’t made my decision yet; perhaps circumstances will guide my choice.
Nice Premium: You don’t consider returning to Cameroon to pursue your professional career there?
CN: I am Cameroonian and one day, I will return to my country where my family resides. My parents live there, as well as some of my brothers and sisters. Others, like me, came to complete their studies in France. But I will do so when I am more structured to face the significant challenges there, and only after having acquired the capacity to add value to my activity.
You know, in Cameroon, nothing is easy if you are not in the circle of power, which is not the case for my family. Therefore, one must be professionally and intellectually equipped to navigate a context that is not always simple or easy due to the lack of infrastructure. I repeat, I am Cameroonian, and I want to support the development of the country, but I will do so at the right time.
NP: Your integration in France went smoothly?
C.N: I am aware of living in a privileged environment, the scientific one, where skills and merit prevail over any other consideration. I never felt that my origin could be a handicap, but I know it’s not always like that for everyone.
There was only one occasion where I was denied an apartment rental because I am African. My reaction was to tell my interlocutor that I did not understand what the problem could be. On the contrary, it was he who had a serious problem: his outdated mentality!
Endearing and Balanced
Carine is a very endearing young woman who exhibits a remarkable psychological balance for her age. It becomes clearer why the Jury of the Academy of Sciences, which evaluated her dossier among those of many candidates, found the elements to select her. It must have been simply impeccable!
She is experiencing her youth with a maturity that will certainly allow her to remember, when the time comes to reflect, her youth as a wonderful period of her life.
C.N: I am grateful to my parents. They let us, me and my other brothers and sisters, leave. In Cameroon, in our traditional society, family life is very important. Furthermore, there is the economic aspect that should not be forgotten or considered marginal.
I am aware of being privileged, and I know I have a duty to succeed for myself, for my family and also for my country.
NP: Any concluding remarks?
C.N: As Andy Warhol once said: “If beauty is not within each of us, then it is nowhere.
…All the best, Carine.
