Ruth Rohde and Pierre Canet are each pursuing their master degrees at the Geneva Graduate Institute. But before beginning their studies, they decided to test the waters by participating in the Institute's Summer Programmes. Here, they share their experience and why the programme not only helped them decide to come study in Geneva.
In the final year of my undergraduate degree I had become increasingly interested in studying at the Graduate Institute. The International History and Politics programme was particularly appealing to me but since I had never studied history, the summer school presented the perfect opportunity for me to experience the teaching at the Graduate Institute and get an impression of the programme, as the session I participated in was taught by Professor Mohamedou, who was head of the department at the time.
Even though the summer school was taught online, it still gave me a valuable insight into what it would be like to study at the Institute, and what can I say, one-and-a-half years later I am happy to take a full class with the same professor!
Attending the Summer Programme on International Affairs was both an enjoyable and insightful experience. Particularly interested in environmental governance, I chose to attend a module on the “global environmental crisis”. Professor Viñuales, a leading expert in environmental law, captivated us by giving an excellent overview of climate science and the global governance of the issue.
When the sessions were over, I was both appreciative of the academic teachings received and the exchanges I had with fellow students. I thus decided to apply for a master's programme in Geneva. Since starting my graduate education, I have only been reaffirmed in the quality of the courses at the Institute.
In conclusion, the Summer Programme gave me a useful insight into what life at the Institute might look like as well as an excellent way to take advantage of my summer break!