Contribute to Scholarships to Train the Next Generation of IHL and Human Rights Specialists

Support our One-Month Crowdfunding Campaign

11 February 2021

Support our one-month crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for scholarships and donate now via our crowdfunding platform or via bank transfer to change someone's life and career!

Situations of armed conflict affect the lives of millions of people globally. They remind us that the need to ensure respect for international law during and following armed conflicts and to train the next generation in these fields are as acute as ever.

Every year, more than 500 talented young students apply to our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) and to our MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law (MTJ) with a scholarship. Among these, we can only accept around 20 thanks to the generous support of our donors who fund scholarships for these programmes.

This means that we leave out many other promising students because of their limited resources.

‘Studying in Geneva can represent an important financial burden for students and their families. As a result, many talented candidates – from both western and non-western countries – cannot enrol in our programmes’ explains Professor Gloria Gaggioli, Director of the Geneva Academy.

‘It is key for us to ensure a broad diversity in our student body, with students bringing different social, geographical and cultural backgrounds and perspectives in class. Such a mix is not only essential for the programme itself, but also to address contemporary challenges in IHL, human rights and transitional justice’ she adds.

With Your Support: Helping Talented Students with Limited Means and Changing One’s Life and Career

We could do much more with your support: every contribution matters, we know that times are difficult for all.

You have the opportunity to contribute – via our one-month crowdfunding campaign – to scholarships that will cover the tuition fees of students with limited means for the upcoming academic year. We talk about 18,000 Swiss Francs per student that can change someone's life and opportunities.

You can donate either via the crowdfunding platform or via bank transfer.

So with 18,000 Swiss Francs we could help one student, with 36,000 two, with 54,000 three, and so on!

‘I am myself an alumna of the LLM and I still use every day what I have learned during my time at the Geneva Academy. This has changed my life and career. I hope that this will continue to change the life and career of many others, including those with limited means’ says Maud Bonnet, Executive Director at the Geneva Academy.

‘Following graduation, students who received a scholarship often go back to their country or regions affected by conflict or undergoing political transitions, bringing much-needed expertise in complex transitional contexts’ stresses Thomas Unger, former Co-Director of the MTJ.

A Call to our Community

We count on our alumni, friends, community and on any person who believes in the power of education and in the value of international law to alleviate sufferings and make our world a better and safer place for all.

Every amount given via this campaign will be entirely allocated to our scholarship fund. In case we cannot raise enough money to cover one or several scholarships, the raised funds that cannot be allocated to a scholarship will be in any case used for our students in 2021-2022.

About the LLM

The LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) is a one-year postgraduate degree course that focuses on all rules applicable to armed conflicts. By promoting both academic excellence and independent critical thinking, it equips those who will have to address complex crises, emerging humanitarian and human rights challenges or challenging processes such as criminal proceedings, international negotiations and humanitarian interventions with the knowledge and tools to alleviate suffering, fight impunity and provide redress to victims.

About the MTJ

The MTJ curriculum is designed for highly qualified and open-minded candidates interested in acquiring high-level academic education and practice in the field of transitional justice, human rights and the rule of law.

One of the few programmes on this subject worldwide, this one-year full-time postgraduate degree addresses transitional justice from a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective. Combining theoretical knowledge with real-world perspectives and a cross-disciplinary approach, it bridges the gap between academic theory and professional practice and trains students to implement specific transitional justice work in various contexts and situations.

 

 

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP in Davos News

AI and Human Rights in the Intelligent Age: GHRP in Davos

3 February 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.

Read more

Ambassador Jürg Lauber News

Opening Lecture by the President of the Human Rights Council

24 February 2025

Following his election as President of the Human Rights Council, we had the honour of welcoming Ambassador Jürg Lauber for the Geneva Academy's Spring Semester Opening Lecture.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

Read more

Computer screen with warning: civilian infrastucture: do not attack Project

The Digitalization of Armed Conflict

Started in September 2020

This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.

Read more

Panel Discussion: Project

Treaty Body Members’ Platform

Started in January 2014

The Treaty Body Members’ Platform connects experts in UN treaty bodies with each other as well as with Geneva-based practitioners, academics and diplomats to share expertise, exchange views on topical questions and develop synergies.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more