Renovo started out from an unbiased observation: students coming from Muslim backgrounds are under-represented in top French universities. This process is not weakening as multiple faors still account for its perpetuation: a lack of knowledge about elite educational tracks among Muslim families, a lack of mentoring and role models within the community, a lack of cultural capital, and financial constraints.
But does that mean that we should simply shrug in the face of inequality? As Alexis de Toqueville wrote in the 19th century, democracy is characterized by a quest for equal living conditions across society. And so long as the public authorities are not able to assure this equality, Toqueville held that it was up to civil society to step in to fill the gap.
Our mission is, therefore, to nurture young students’ individual path to success, which unites both social fulfillment and ethics. These individual successes, taken together, shall foster new standards of success through a deep commitment to society’s needs and an aptitude to transmit and defend driving values, such as solidarity, excellence and righteousness.
Hence, admitting in our program a greater number of students coming from very diverse backgrounds is our scope ahead. Children, whose access to top universities is really challenging within their social environment, are welcomed at Renovo, irrespective of their personal convictions.
