10 May 2022
Anastasiya Marchuk is the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Office in Odesa, Ukraine which covers three southern regions of Ukraine affected by the ongoing conflict.
Before joining the ICRC in November 2015, she worked for the European Union Border Assistance Mission with a focus on the Transnistrian settlement. Anastasiya studied international relations, with an academic interest in conflict contexts, particularly in the Middle East. She is currently enrolled in our Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict and follows the programme online.
ICRC
Working in an extremely charged and volatile environment, I wanted to broaden my legal expertise in the field to help me better understand the context, legal framework and mechanisms of international law. After all, ICRC is the guardian of international humanitarian law (IHL), and I felt that it was both a privilege and an obligation to explore the law of conflicts profoundly.
I was particularly interested in the programme as it includes a comprehensive curricular on different branches of international law, from the founding principles of public international law to specifics of the law of non-international armed conflicts or refugee law. Importantly, each course is taught by renowned academics and practitioners, who offer valuable first-hand accounts of landmark events in the history of international law.
The possibility of studying online was one of the top things that attracted me – due to family and work commitments, attending classes in person was not an option. Another advantage is that your classmates are from all over the world, and the variety of contexts and backgrounds enrich the discussions immensely. On the downside, I do miss the face to face interaction, but COVID has prepared us all for the new reality, so no complaints.
With the outbreak of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, it has become more difficult for me to attend classes due to the intensity of the workload but it is very helpful that there are recordings of each class available – I can easily catch up when I have time. The tutorials at the end of each module are also great tools to systematize material and practice in applying the new knowledge to hypothetical situations.
My supervisor was actually very supportive of me applying for the programme and I think it’s a clear indication of its added value to my professional development. And today, with the developments in Ukraine, I feel more than ever the usefulness and practical applicability of the knowledge I receive at the Geneva Academy – the whole system of international law is being challenged here and now.
I would definitely recommend it but also highlight that it is a long-term commitment – not a pleasure cruise but a serious academic undertaking. Still, totally worth it.
Canva
Our podcast In and Around War(s) returns for a second season of conversations with our alumni on topical issues related to wars.
Canva
In and Around War(s) is a new podcast series of the Geneva Academy on contemporary legal issues related to wars.
ICRC
In this talk, Professor Frédéric Mégret will seek to excavate an understanding of IHL as partly about protecting one’s population rather than minimizing harm to ‘other’ populations.
In this lecture organized with the MIDS, Professor Chiara Giorgetti will discuss current efforts to create a reparation mechanism for Ukraine in order to hold Russia liable for its violations of international law.
ICRC
This online short course discusses the extent to which states may limit and/or derogate from their international human rights obligations in order to prevent and counter-terrorism and thus protect persons under their jurisdiction.
ICRC
Organized by the Geneva Academy and the ICRC, the Advanced IHL seminar for academics and humanitarian policymakers aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research IHL and contemporary issues arising during armed conflict, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates and their relevance to decision-making.
orihaus
This project aims at staying abreast of the various military technology trends; promoting legal and policy debate on new military technologies; and furthering the understanding of the convergent effects of different technological trends shaping the digital battlefield of the future.
ICRC
This project aimed at compiling and analysing the practice and interpretation of selected international humanitarian law and human rights norms by armed non-state actors (ANSAs). It had a pragmatic double objective: first, to offer a comparative analysis of IHL and human rights norms from the perspective of ANSAs, and second, to inform strategies of humanitarian engagement with ANSAs, in particular the content of a possible ‘Model Code of Conduct’.
UKRI