Professor Riccardo Bocco has retired after a long career at the former Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED) and the Geneva Graduate Institute, where he taught Political Sociology in the Anthropology and Sociology Department. He served as the Research Director in the past and was a popular teacher, supervisor and colleague. A bon vivant, he engaged with the department’s social life, which notably included introducing colleagues and students to his unmatched culinary skills, endearing him to one and all.
His research focus on Jordan, Israel/Palestine and Lebanon, and commitment to the people of Palestine stand out as his enduring contribution. Professor Bocco’s deep academic interest in the study of violence and recent strong interest in memory and cinema further charted his research trajectory from the Middle East to Latin America. His cinema work led him to contribute to several high profile round tables at leading film festivals in Switzerland, and paved the way for an active involvement in the “Ciné@IHIED” initiative, which screens films for the Institute community and greater Geneva. This proactive dynamism mirrored his commitment to public outreach and further deepened his standing as a cherished public intellectual with a robust media presence.
Professor Bocco never showed any hesitation in addressing sensitive issues, be they political in nature or humanitarian. This dedicated and spirited commitment to fairness, justice and human rights illustrates his long and influential career that touched the lives of his students and interlocutors alike. The Geneva Graduate Institute sincerely thanks Professor Riccardo Bocco for his long academic leadership and wishes him every success in his new intellectual endeavours.
