4:30 a.m. at Luton Airport – despite the early hour, the atmosphere was buzzing when our Global Governance and Ethics course sat down for breakfast at the airport terminal. Thanks to the dedicated Geneva coordination team of the GGE Student Society, we knew we had four days of exciting events in Switzerland ahead of us. And we were right: the trip would prove to be a thought-provoking and unique experience for all of us!
Our Geneva programme boasted a wide variety of activities. Since everybody was still tired from the early start, we kicked off our time in Switzerland with some light quantum physics. The visit to
CERN, the organisation for nuclear research, was a fascinating experience, since it enabled us to leave our comfort zones and look at the world from a drastically different perspective than the usual political-anthropocentric lens allows. The museum explained complex physics in a very accessible and playful way, making for an educational but also entertaining start to our trip. Another interesting and more politics-related activity was the visit to the
International Committee of the Red Cross Museum on the third day. We were very impressed and moved by the interactive exhibitions, the reflective manner in which the ICRC approached difficult topics like their much criticised inaction during the Holocaust, and the countless personal stories told by prisoners of war in the museum. Since several of us strive towards a career in humanitarian work, it was very helpful to gain a more complete picture of what such work would entail.
However, the highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the second day, which was UN-themed. In the morning, we visited the
UN Palais des Nations to learn more about the organisation’s work in Geneva. During a tour through the buildings, we could sit in the rooms where the
World Health Assembly is held once a year and where the
Human Rights Council convenes. The tour was a great insight into the organisation and served as a prelude to the highlight of the trip later on in the day. At a networking event in a historic building of the
Geneva Academy co-hosted with the
Geneva Platform on Human Rights, we had the chance to meet with professionals from diverse international organisations based in Geneva, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), World Trade Organisation (WTO), UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), International Bar Association, Commonwealth UN Office in Geneva, and the NGO, Child Rights Connect. Over wine and olives, we had the opportunity to speak informally to the guests to learn more about their work. These conversations allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of diplomacy in practice and the day-to-day realities of working for an international organisation. It was particularly interesting to hear about the UN from the different perspectives of diplomats, secretariat staff, and NGO employees.
Even though we were all sad to know that this would likely be our last time spending time together as a big group, we very much enjoyed our time in Geneva. The informative academic events were complemented by the many other fun memories together – whether it was the city’s efficient response to fishing out car keys from sewer grates, intense rounds of ‘Heads Up’ at 2 o’clock in the morning, or tasty fondue on the Bains de Pâquis. This trip was the perfect way to round off our Global Governance and Ethics Master’s at UCL!
