When the intellect meets the sea, it creates enthusiasts like Sandra Ranaivomanana, doctoral student at the Fisheries and Marine Sciences Institute of the University of Tuléar. And third international prize in the “My thesis in 180 seconds” competition with representatives from Gabon, Mauritius, Canada, Burundi, Tunisia, Chad, Romania, Senegal, Austria, Belgium and others.
The sea, a blue immensity that Sandra Ranaivomanana looks at as her laboratory, her projections, her passion… A doctoral student at the Fisheries and Marine Sciences Institute of the University of Tuléar, she won the bronze medal in the international competition “My thesis in 180 seconds” in November in Ivory Coast. She and the sea go back to her childhood at Notre Dame de Nazareth college. “ In fifth grade, we visited the sea museum, it particularly struck me. Then, I love the documentaries on the sea “Thalassa”, I told myself that one day the sea would be the center of my work “, she admits. She is building her dream little by little. Born in Betafo, Sandra Ranaivomanana spent her first 10 years in this peaceful town. His father is posted further south, to the city that never sleeps. The family moves. She was integrated into the Sacré Cœur college in Nazareth. After obtaining the undergraduate studies certificate, she landed at Sacré Cœur college in the Tsianaloka district. “ Already, I had a preference for the Science of Life and Earth subject, marine processes fascinated me », adds the doctoral student. Having obtained the baccalaureate, she without hesitation embarked on the “marine science” course at the Maninday faculty. Within the IHSM, one of the most renowned in the Indian Ocean. “ When you choose a course that you like, you are more patient and perseverant, this is what I advise young high school graduates ”, she puts into perspective. She completed a degree in marine and coastal science, an excellence scholarship for one school year in a master’s degree for “biology, ecology, aquatic and island evolution” in Reunion and in 2002, a scholarship opportunity with the project “Arms restored”. She is now heading towards a doctorate, where all of her knowledge in sustainable management of marine resources, fisheries research, and the challenges of artisanal fishing combine… “ My thesis in 180 seconds was a great, unexpected experience. Already, I was surprised to have won the national competition », she recalls. And to add, “ Then get to third place ”, it was yet another big surprise. Her ambition was to make her research and its real impacts known. “ For some, it’s abstract. I had the chance to shed light on gray areas… Then, I managed to represent Madagascar and my university with honor “. For her, artisanal fishing “ coastal livelihood » is the first witness to the increasingly growing danger of the destruction of the sea. And this concerns thousands of families. Seeing this on the ground is worth more than the geo-political-alarmist discourse of Western lobbyists keen to camouflage industrial fisheries towards Europe, for example. “ The Malagasy intellectual personality that I admire is the former minister Baomihavotse Vahinala Raharinirina, for her commitment to the environment, her charisma, her responsibilities as a teacher… I have not yet met her », reveals Sandra Ranaivomanana with the tone of an amused fan. Apart from her, there is the researcher Pascale Chabanet, another enthusiast like her. And Didier Gascuel, “ I had the opportunity to take his classes and meet him “. For the moment, the young woman is giving priority to her doctorate.
Maminirina Rado