Geneva Study Mission

Day 1 – Arrival & Introduction to International Geneva

Participants arrive in Geneva and check in. The afternoon opens with an introductory session on the structure of International Geneva: the history and geography of the international organizations concentrated in the city, the difference between UN system agencies and independent international organizations, and the career pathways available to students interested in diplomacy, human rights, and international cooperation. The session also provides an overview of the Swiss academic landscape, with a focus on the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), one of the world’s leading postgraduate institutions for international relations, development economics, and international law. A welcome dinner closes the evening.

Day 2 – Palais des Nations & Human Rights Council

The second day is the centrepiece of the mission. In the morning, participants visit the Palais des Nations, the United Nations’ European headquarters and the largest conference centre of the UN system. A guided tour covers the history of the building and its role in global governance. The highlight of the day is attendance at a session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), where member states, NGOs, and independent experts discuss and vote on resolutions concerning human rights situations around the world. Participants are briefed before the session on the agenda, the key actors, and what to listen for, giving them the tools to understand what they observe in real time.

Day 3 – ICRC Museum, IHL Workshop & Advocacy Session

The morning begins at the International Committee of the Red Cross, one of the world’s most recognized humanitarian organizations and the guardian of international humanitarian law. After a visit to the ICRC museum, which brings the history and principles of humanitarian action to life through powerful exhibits, participants attend a workshop facilitated by ICRC staff on the practical application of international humanitarian law in contemporary armed conflicts. In the afternoon, an advocacy workshop led by an international NGO presents the tools and techniques used by civil society organizations to influence human rights policy: how to lobby the HRC, how to submit shadow reports, and how to use international mechanisms to protect rights at the national level.

Day 4 – CERN & Closing Session

The final day takes participants to CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and home to the Large Hadron Collider. The visit explores how CERN operates as an international collaboration involving over 100 countries and its model of multilateral governance, a fascinating parallel with the international organizations studied during the rest of the week. A guided tour is followed by a discussion of CERN’s career pathways. The afternoon closes with a round-table session where participants consolidate what they have learned, identify their next steps, and receive guidance on applications for UN programmes, ICRC internships, and the Graduate Institute. Departures take place in the late afternoon.