MIRD Annual Visit to Geneva and Visits with International Organisations
From 29 – 31 May, second-year students of the Advanced MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy (MIRD) took part in the programme's annual visit to Geneva, Switzerland. Students participated in various institutional visits, and got to hear first-hand from practitioners and experts on a variety of topics.
On the first day of the trip, students and staff joined together with local alumni of the programme for a typical fondue dinner by Lake Geneva. The group was able to interact with these alumni and gained valuable advice about life after graduation, job markets, and the alumni's experience within their chosen field, working with organisations such as the ICRC, H55, and ICROA.
Day two: The importance of Human Rights
The group started off day two by attending two presentations at the GCSP, including one given by guest speaker Ambassador Evette Stevens. The ambassador discussed the importance of human rights and its role in the prevention of conflict. This was followed by a tour of the UN Palais des Nations, including a view of the famous Human Rights Council room. Finally, the group finished with a visit to the ILO, where the history of the organisation was put on display and the impacts of labour rights and their evolution were discussed.
Day three: cooperation of civil society
On the last day, students attended a series of presentations at the GICHD which revolved around the organisation's ongoing demining efforts worldwide, as well as the changing nature of disarmament. Speakers discussed the numerous operations taken by the GICHD and placed particular importance on the cooperation of civil society as well as the need for gender inclusive and diverse policies when working on demining efforts around the globe.
Learning Opportunity and Farewell
This year, the MIRD programme had its annual Geneva visit just days after the submission of the programme's final thesis. The trip served as a great learning opportunity for students, exposing them to professionals in the field of international relations and providing concrete examples of the work done by organisations similar to those they will be applying to soon. With graduation scheduled for later this summer, the lessons and experiences learned during this trip will serve as a final farewell to a two-year long academic journey for MIRD students.
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MIRD students, staff and alumni -
Visit to the International Labour Organisation -
Visit to the GICHD -
MIRD students, staff and alumni