About Geneva

View of Geneva's Mont-Blanc Bridge with flags of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) View of Geneva's Mont-Blanc Bridge with flags of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

One of the most popular places to live

According to international rankings, Geneva offers an excellent quality of life and is one of the most popular places to live.

The city is clean and safe, with high-quality public facilities and reliable public transport. It is easy to get around either by bus, tram, cycle or on foot. The many green areas, parks and the lake make it an agreeable city to live in.

A Human Rights and Humanitarian Hub

As the European headquarters of the United Nations (UN) and the most active location in the world for multilateral diplomacy, Geneva is home to dozens international organizations, more than 250 NGOs and 174 state representations, with 29,000 persons employed in this sector.

Every week, events organized by the Geneva Academy, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, University of Geneva, international organizations and NGOs feature leading experts in the humanitarian and human rights fields and directly touch upon topics addressed in our programmes.

A Multicultural City

As a multicultural city with more than 180 nationalities, Geneva has a vibrant cultural life – a broad range of music concerts, music festivals, dance, opera, a variety of movies, art galleries, theatres and museums. A significant number of these cultural offers are accessible to English speakers.

Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

Career Opportunities

Most of our students go on, or return, to work with international organizations, international courts and tribunals, NGOs, governments or academic institutions. Our 700 plus graduates have a visible presence in Geneva-based human rights and humanitarian institutions, but also in the wider field and other cities worldwide.

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UN Photo/Martine Perret

Practical Work

Our Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law combines high-level academic education with real-world practice. Different parts of the programme allow students to develop the transferable skills necessary to succeed in the professional world and take up responsibilities in these fields.

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World Economic Forum Global Shapers Annual Curators Meeting 2016, Palais des Nations, Geneva

Internships with leading actors

Our LLM students have the opportunity to acquire first-hand professional experience via internships with Geneva-based humanitarian and human rights actors like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Commission of Jurists, or the United Nations Children's Fund.

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Neurotechnology and Neuromodulation - Conceptual Illustration Human Rights Conversations

Neurotechnology and Human Rights

6 June 2023, 10:00-11:30

In this Human Rights Conversation, panelists will discuss the challenges that neurotechnologies raise for the enjoyment of human rights and the current work of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on this issue.

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Event

Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Reimagining Protection for a World in Turmoil

12 June 2023, 14:00-15:30

This event, co-organized with Amnesty International, will discuss the gains made since the UDHR adoption, challenges to the international normative framework on human rights and what the international community needs to do for a better future.

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Pleadings on the 2008 armed conflict in South Ossetia News

LLM Students Address IHL Issues Arising from the 2008 Armed Conflict in South Ossetia

25 May 2023

Half of the class of our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights – 20 students – pleaded on Sunday 20 May at Villa Moynier on the 2008 South Ossetia armed conflict between Russia and Georgia.

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