Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations


The Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations or Geneva School of Diplomacy is a private institute of higher learning located in Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland. The campus is situated on the grounds of the Chateau de Penthes. The school offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs to a small number of students. Programmes culminate in a bachelor, master, executive master or doctor degree in international relations. Courses are organized into the following themes: disarmament and security, economics and development, history, international law, international relations theory, selected regional case studies, social and cultural studies, blue diplomacy, green diplomacy, as well as other specialized fields in international affairs.

Admissions

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their prior academic performance and promise for personal growth and development, as evidenced by academic achievement, a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. The school reserves the right to require a personal evaluative interview before or after submission of the application.

Globecraft Institute

The Globecraft Institute at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations is an autonomous centre for research on avant-garde and pressing political, legal, and economic issues. The Institute researches and investigates issues such as the politics of technology and intellectual property, energy issues, global water shortage, international development, conflict resolution, the root causes of war to advance peace, and human rights on a global scale. The Institute employs a small staff for its research and publication programme and accommodates leading world scholars as visiting professors on a rotating basis.

Degrees

GSD students of the Bachelor and Master level have the opportunity to do internships as part of their curriculum in International Relations, allowing students to gain practical experience and apply theoretical knowledge to real-world issues.
In order to help students in their internship search, GSD developed regular agreements with a network of organizations, benefiting from its Geneva location and the nearby presence of diplomatic missions, multilateral organisations, governmental agencies, NGO’s, multi-national private corporations, etc.
In the past, students have interned at ILO, ICRC, UNOCHA, UNEP, UNHCR, OHCHR, IOM, WHO, ITC, IATA, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UNITAR, UNCTAD, Geneva International Centre for Justice, Women’s World Summit Foundation, Holy See Mission, Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Reporters without borders, International Civil Defense Organization, UNPBSO, and several Permanent Missions in Geneva. Also at the UN headquarters in New York as well as in the UN institutions in Vienna and Rome.

Specialised Training Programmes

Summer School
A one-week intensive summer course on international affairs is offered to high school students ages 16 to 19. During the week the participants engage with peers from different cultural backgrounds and learn from the real-world diplomatic experience of the GSD renowned Faculty, through dynamic and interactive learning activities. The students discuss compelling and inspiring topics of diplomacy and international relations in the mornings, while visiting the major international organizations in Geneva in the afternoons.
Executive Winter School
The Executive Training is a one-week programme, which focuses on the most recent trends in personal and organizational leadership and provides participants with powerful tools essential for dealing with the problems of the rapidly changing world, its challenges, uncertainties, and risks.
During the Winter School, participants are exposed to the experiences of remarkable leaders and world-class experts and gain insight into the vibrant world of political, diplomatic and business leadership.
After successful completion of the Winter School, a certificate of completion is issued, allowing to earn 5 ECTS.
Case Study Weekends
Participants willing to know more about one particular topic, can choose to attend a Case Study Weekend programme.
During the practice-oriented case study weekends, participants are provided with advanced in-depth knowledge and skills to grasp and navigate the complex realities of international relations and deal with practical situations encountered by diplomats in their everyday practice. At the same time, they can
focus on a variety of the most important global challenges and governance solutions, while developing practical skills such as negotiation, working in team work, problem-solving, conflict resolution, decision making, and leadership.
Short Term Certificate
The Short Term Certificate Course Programme offers candidates the option to audit 3 core courses of the Master’s curriculum. The candidate first has to apply for the program and once admitted – he or she is informed of the classes to choose from, which are offered during that particular intake.
Whether the student background or interest lies in private, public or the non-profit sector, GSD aims at guaranteeing an increase in knowledge and due awareness of contemporary issues. This, through a range of seminars and guest lectures from high level experts and officials from the international environment.
STCC programme participants receive an Official Certificate of Completion at the end of their semester. Participation in the STCC programme does not result in any European Credit Transfer System credit points, as there are no mandatory exams for candidates auditing classes.
Tailor-made Training Programmes
Tailor-Made Training programmes are catered to meet the training needs of organizations. Participants are able to pick and choose the courses, ‘à la carte’, to suit their needs and time schedule. The training programmes are for professionals from public, private and non-profit sectors.

President

has over 30 years' experience with the United Nations as a human rights officer, a political officer with the Security Council, and a member of peacekeeping missions. As a senior UN official in Bosnia, Murphy negotiated the Winter Ceasefire of 1994 and was the architect of the subsequent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

International partnerships

The school works in official partnership with University of California, Berkeley in the United States, U.N.'s University for Peace in Costa Rica, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos in Brazil, in China, Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Russia, Euro-Mediterranean University of Slovenia in Slovenia, American University of Technology, , , , , and Cyprus University.

Accreditation

The school is accredited by EduQua, the first Swiss quality label geared towards providers of adult learning programmes. The label promotes transparency and comparability of adult learning for the benefit of consumers and contributes to safeguarding the quality of adult education programmers in Switzerland.. However, it is not formally accredited before the Swiss public higher education sector.
Switzerland is currently introducing accreditation procedures that draw no distinction between public and private institutions. Accreditation under the Federal Act of September 30, 2011, on the Funding and Coordination of the Higher Education Sector attests to the fact that the public authorities have conducted an external quality inspection, may recognise the institutions but do not provide them with public subsidies.

Memberships

The school is a member of the and the .

Faculty and notable alumni

Faculty
Notable alumni