Baptiste Bougouin, Safety and Operational Security Engineer at TotalEnergies (Paris La Défense)

After his Baccalaureate, Baptiste Bougouin hesitated before continuing in higher education, but he finally enrolled at UPPA for a Bachelor’s degree in Maths. Five years later, in 2022, he left with a Master’s in Stochastic and Computational Methods for Decision Making (MSID), a subject that is in great demand in industry. 

Where does your interest in mathematics come from? 

I’ve always been good at maths. At high school, I often helped friends who were struggling to solve an equation, apply a theorem or formalise a demonstration. In my final year, when I had to make a choice about my future, I chose maths, more out of passion than a desire for any particular profession! It was a decision that really challenged me. I discovered a whole new world with formulae, dimensions and reasoning that I'd never even imagined existed, and passionate lecturers.

How do you turn a passion into a profession? 

I was interested in teaching and in my third year I took the module in “Awareness of Professional Techniques for Teaching”. As part of the course, I went back to my old high school, Saint-John Perse in Pau, for a work placement, but this time I was in the staffroom! The reality was different to what I had imagined, and the experience made me reconsider my career plans. 

A friend recommended the Master’s in Stochastic and Computational Methods for Decision Making (MSID). It’s a specialisation in demand on the job market with an attractive salary. During the Master’s course, I learnt how to program, write code, run complex calculations, understand and use artificial intelligence, etc., and I gradually started moving towards industry, a sector I had never even considered before. During the holidays after the first year of my Master’s, I did a work placement as a data scientist, tutored by a PhD student from the Pau Mathematics and its Applications Laboratory (LMAP), who taught me a lot about coding in the Python language. 

Then in my second year, I did a work-study programme with Safran Helicopter Engines, also in data science. Using data from aircraft engines on test benches, we had to code mathematical solutions to automate decision-making in the event of an issue. Also during the second year, someone from TotalEnergies trained us in a software suite dedicated to the dependability and reliability of installations (GRIF*). I found it fascinating, the idea of being able to use mathematics to assess the availability of an industrial site and ensure the safety of employees. In 2022, even before graduating, I was recruited on a 12-month professionalisation contract by TotalEnergies to work on a new GRIF application in offshore wind energy. At the end of the professionalisation contract, I signed a 30-month fixed-term contract. 

What words do you spontaneously associate with UPPA? 

Expertise - Freedom - Comfort 

What advice would you give to a young person starting a course at UPPA?

Don’t hesitate! UPPA is an excellent university and there's a wonderful industrial fabric on site for internships. As far as mathematics is concerned, it's a difficult course and choosing it is not a decision to be taken lightly. You need to have a real liking for the discipline and be able to stick with it over time. On the other hand, it opens plenty of doors to different career paths and the modules are perfectly suited to new expectations in the business world. 

Want to find out more? 

Mathematics Degree   Master’s in Stochastic and Computational Methods for Decision Making 

GRIF*  

*GRIF is a registered trademark owned by TotalEnergies and used under licence.

 Propos recueillis par Florence Elman.