Unregulated: A Diverse Regulatory Affairs Professional Story

I recently read an article on increasing Diversity in the Regulatory Affairs Profession.

I was quite excited at first, and even more so when I saw a section dedicated to utilizing “new immigrant” talent for diversity purposes, only to find in cliché statements such as multilinguism and knowledge of different cultures etc...

I could not help but laugh at the irony of an article commissioned to raise awareness on diversity contributing to even more othering. In the US (authors’ location) and Canada (my location), the arguments of multilinguisim and multiculturalism only make sense if we use the term “new immigrant” for a certain section of the immigrant population, namely the non western one. These same perceived perks of the new immigrant (i.e. multilinguism and multiculturalism) are too often used to hoard career opportunities from them. In the Regulatory profession, this can show in limiting them to emerging international markets and keeping them away from developing expertise through dealing with or submitting applications to state of the art regulatory agencies like the US FDA, all under the language and cultural (in)ability pretext. 

I identify as a new immigrant in Canada, and I love Regulatory Affairs. All companies I worked at have been happy with my performance. However, and for the longest time, I wondered why I chose this “strange” career. I am generally quite free-spirited, I don't really like rules, my friends and family think of me as highly creative, and I don't react well to authority.

I think I finally came to an answer last year. First, I try to live ethically, and I view RA as one way of helping organizations with that. Second, and this is where my new immigrant experience comes in, I left home to France at age 17 to pursue my university studies. At 25, I moved to Germany after landing a scholarship to do my PhD. I completed my degree amidst the economic crisis of 2008/2009, finding a job as a non-EU citizen was mission impossible. I heard of a Singaporean work permit specific to graduates of life sciences, applied and moved there for 3.5 years. In 2013 and after a 7 year-long application, Canada approved my Permanent Residency and gave me 5 months to either give up everything I'd built in Singapore and move to Canada, or lose the offer to immigrate. I negotiated with myself to move “just one last time” and end once for all the immigration race. Four years after, it was time to apply for the citizenship. A year after that (2018), it was time to say the Oath to the Queen of England, take a photo with the immigration judge, cry my eyes out and stand in the middle of my own life not knowing what to do with this huge amount of stability and privilege I was suddenly awarded.

Read more