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29 September 2026

Dr RÉMI VINE AND STUDENTS DISCUSS THEIR MINT ARP: UN TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AND GENEVA PLATFORM FOR RESILIENT VALUE CHAINS

ARPs are a fundamental part of the Master in International and Development Studies (MINT) programme. Students discuss their ARP entitled: “"UNCTAD (UN Trade and Development) and GPRVC (Geneva Platform for Resilient Value Chains): Helping Developing Countries gain more value from Clean Energy Manufacturing and Production”).

Dr Viné, Applied Research Projects’ (ARPs) Faculty Lead, shares with us his thoughts on supervising the ARPs over the years, collaborating with students and his approach to this ARP in particular:

This project was unusual in that it involved two separate partner organizations: UNCTAD and the Geneva Platform for Resilient Value Chains (GPRVC). The group was composed of four students from diverse backgrounds. Bringing together such a wide range of perspectives into a single, coherent report was, in itself, a significant challenge. The students presented their work to an audience of more than ten representatives from the partner organizations, whose very positive feedback demonstrated that they had successfully risen to this challenge. Congratulations!

I am particularly grateful for the strong involvement of both partners throughout the process. They made themselves available very frequently to ensure that the project was moving in the right direction, while also giving the students the freedom and recognition they deserved for their creative contributions. The group's work contributed to two UNCTAD reports, for which the students developed infographics illustrating the value chains of selected wind- and solar-energy components.

Overall, this ARP exemplifies how, even within a complex project structure involving multiple partners, perspectives, and contributors, highly valuable and useful outputs can emerge.

Your ARP explores Namibia, Zambia and Madagascar’s relationship with clean energy manufacturing and production. What drew you to this topic?

Having done research on renewable energy previously, I wanted to build on that foundation while learning how practical application works in the field. Coming from a developing country myself, I am naturally inclined to research developing nations, which made exploring Namibia, Zambia and Madagascar particularly interesting to me. 

How was your experience preparing for the project work? 

Before diving into the specific project requirements, I focused on reading the papers recommended by our partners, along with additional background reports I found through my own research. 

You focused on the UNCTAD and GPRVC in relation to the topic. Could you speak more about how these organisations shaped your research methods and your analysis?

Both organisations greatly expanded my understanding of the topic. In particular, our close relationship and nearly bi-weekly meetings with GPRVC provided invaluable guidance on our methodology and analysis. Coming primarily from qualitative research backgrounds, this type of technical research was brand new to us, so having direct, consistent support was essential. 

What were some conclusions you drew from this experience and how does it support your overall learning experience in the MINT programme?

This experience was instrumental in helping me secure my current internship at ITC, where I work on closely related topics. The ARP is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a subject that can support your future career while also opening doors within the Geneva job market. 

The ARP encourages team work. How did you approach working collectively?

It was a bit challenging initially, as the material was new to all of us and we had to figure out the most equitable way to divide the workload. Open dialogue was essential throughout the process, even when navigating difficult conversations. 

Could you share with us a fun or important moment that occurred during this experience?

The highlight of the experience was presenting our final deliverable at the UN to an audience of invited participants from both the university and external organisations.