Association Awards

To honour the outstanding achievements of Institute's alumni, the Association Committee created the Alumni Awards in eight categories.

  • Alumna / Alumnus of the Year
  • Young Alumna / Alumnus
  • Commitment to the Institute and Alumni Association
  • Lifetime Professional Achievement
  • Art & Culture
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Peace
  • Sustainability

Not all awards will be given every year. Laureates will be selected by members of the Committee by vote and will be invited to attend the awards ceremony and gala dinner of the Alumni Reunion in Geneva.

To nominate a fellow alumna / alumnus, please send your proposals before May 1st of every year using the form below. Send any questions to alumni@graduateinstitute.ch.

 

Go to the form

Alumna / alumnus of the Year

Recognises the outstanding achievement of an alumna / alumnus in their field within the last year. Consideration is given to alumni who have won honours in their field or who have been recognised nationally or internationally.

Winner 2022

Omar A. Touray ('92, '95), Gambian diplomat, President of the ECOWAS Commission (2022-2026).

Winner 2021

Signe Krogstrup ('98), Governor at Danmarks Nationalbank.

Winner 2020

Rafaël M. Grossi (PhD, '97), General Director for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Winner 2019

Julie Mélichar ('17), Citizen Mobilisation and Communication Officer at SOS MEDITERRANEE.

Winner 2016

Lora Pappa ('88), Founder and President of the Greek NGO METAdrasi-Action for Migration and Development.

Young Alumna / alumnus

Recognises the outstanding achievement of a young alumna / alumnus in their field, whether through professional achievement or community service. The recipient must be 40 years or under at the time of nomination.

Winner 2026

Julia-Silvana Hofstetter ('18), Founding President, Women in International Security Switzerland

Winner 2024

Savannah Dodd ('15), Founder and Director of the Photography Ethics Centre.

Winner 2021

Felix Staehli ('08), co-founder of Impact Hub Genève and Lausanne.

Winner 2019

Sandrine Cina ('11), Founder and CEO of Be You Network.

Winner 2017

Samar Hasan ('07), Founder and CEO of Epiphany.

Winner 2016

Brindusa Burrows ('03, '05), Founder & CEO of The Ground_Up Project.

Commitment to the Institute and Alumni Association

Recognises the extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the Institute and Alumni Association by an alumna / alumnus through their volunteerism, dedication, philanthropy and commitment to its values.

Winner 2019

Jenö Staehelin ('71), Swiss career diplomat and lawyer, First Swiss Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2002-2004)

Winner 2018

Paul Mathieu ('87), Advisor at the International Monetary Fund and President of the Institute Alumni Association.

Winner 2017

Jacques Moreillon ('71), former Director General and member of the Assembly Council of the ICRC, former President of the Institute Alumni Association.

Winner 2016

Michel Barde ('75), former member of the Board of Directors of the HEI Foundation and former President of the Association of HEI Alumni.

Lifetime Professional Achievement

Recognises an alumna / alumnus who has demonstrated excellence and achievement in their distinguished career; has demonstrated leadership in their profession; has made a positive contribution to the prestige, influence and reputation of the Institute; and exercises a strong positive influence within the community.

Winner 2026

Laura Thompson ('99), Assistant Director General, External and Corporate Relations, International Labor Organization, and Former Ambassador for the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations 

Winner 2026

Roland Dominicé ('98), Co-Founder and Board Member, Symbiotics 

Winner 2026

Sandra Tobler ('08), Co-Founder and Chairwoman, Futurae Technologies AG

Winner 2026

Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu ('75), Former Minister of Education, South Africa, and the First Black Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare

Represented by his son

Winner 2026

René-Jean Wilhelm ('46, '83), Co-Author of the Four Geneva Conventions

Represented by one of his daughters

Winner 2026

Paul Grossrieder ('83), Former Director General, International Committee of the Red Cross 

Winner 2026

Pierre Casimir-Lambert ('69), Founder and Chairman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Stem Cell Initiative

Winner 2026

Rudiger Dornbusch ('66), Ford Professor of International Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Represented by his niece

Winner 2026

Celia Guevara ('82), Political Activist in Argentina, and Senior Researcher, Buschiazzo Institute, University of Buenos Aires

Represented by her nephew 

Winner 2025

Jean-Daniel Ruch ('86), President of the Geneva Center for Neutrality

Winner 2025

Patricia Danzi ('01), Director General at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Winner 2025

Pierre Krähenbühl ('91), Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross 

Winner 2024

Jean-Pierre Gontard ('67), Professor and International Mediator


 

Winner 2024

Fatsah Ouguergouz ('91), Judge and Vice-President, African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
 


 

Winner 2024

Madeleine Zabriskie Doty ('45), Pacifist, Civil Libertarian, and Advocate for the Rights of Prisoners who acted as International Secretary WILPF
 

Represented by an agent

 


 

Winner 2024

Dimitri Kitsikis ('60), Philosopher, Poet and Professor considered to be One of the Leading Geopolitical Thinkers of the XXth Century 
 
Represented by his son 
 


 

Winner 2024

Nazem al-Koudsi ('29), Statesman and Visionary, he is the Last Democratically Elected Syrian President (1961)
 
Represented by one of his sons

Winner 2024

Andréa Maechler ('94), First Swiss Deputy General Manager of the BIS and First Woman to Serve on the Governing Board of the SNB

Winner 2023

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry ('84), President of the World Maritime University

Winner 2023

Maria Teresa Infante Caffi ('80), Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Winner 2023

Maurice Kamga ('03), Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Winner 2023

Michel Kafando ('72), President of the Transition and Head of State, Burkina Faso


Represented by his daughter

Winner 2023

Nilly Sikorsky ('65), President of Capital International

Winner 2023

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes ('91), Visiting Professor at Collège de France (2022-2023)

Winner 2023

Jacques Grinevald ('70), Member of the Anthropocene Working Group

Winner 2023

Laure Waridel ('16), Founder of Équiterre

Winner 2023

Nobuyuki Idei ('62), Founder of Quantum Leaps Corporation
 

Represented by his widow

Winner 2022

Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexican diplomat, Executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2016-2022).

Winner 2022

Yan Lan ('94), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Lazard, Chairman and CEO of Lazard Greater China.

Winner 2022

Micheline Calmy-Rey ('68), Member of the Swiss Federal Council (2003-2011), President of the Swiss Confederation (2007, 2011).

Winner 2021

Mervat Tallawy ('74), Egyptian diplomat and first woman to receive the prize. 

Winner 2019

Marcel Boisard ('77), Swiss intellectual and diplomat, Executive Director of UNITAR (1992-2007)

Winner 2018

Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf ('80), President of the International Court of Justice.

Winner 2017

Georges Abi-Saab ('67), Honorary Professor, International Law.

Art & Culture

Recognises the achievements of an alumna / alumnus in the area of human culture and arts, with particular emphasis on contributions to respecting cultural diversity and enhancing inter-cultural dialogue.

Winner 2024

Savannah Dodd ('15), Founder and Director of the Photography Ethics Centre

Winner 2021

Felix Staehli ('08), co-founder of Impact Hub Genève and Lausanne.

Diversity, equity & Inclusion

Recognises an alumna/ alumnus having made an outstanding contribution and demonstrated strong leadership in addressing inequalities and advancing the gender, diversity and inclusion agendas in the workplace and the community, serving as an inspiration to others.

Winner 2026

Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu ('75), Former Minister of Education, South Africa, and the First Black Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare

Represented by his son

Peace

Recognises the achievement of an alumna / alumnus who has achieved an outstanding impact through their professional or personal journey in the area of justice, peace-making and peace-building, humanitarian response or human rights.

Winner 2026

René-Jean Wilhelm ('46, '83), Co-Author of the Four Geneva Conventions

Represented by one of his daughters

Sustainability

Recognises the outstanding achievement of an alumna / alumnus in the field of sustainability, with particular emphasis on achieving a significant impact, raising awareness and influencing change, who have won honours in their field or who have been recognised nationally or internationally. 

Winner 2023

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes ('91), Visiting Professor at Collège de France (2022-2023)

Winner 2023

Jacques Grinevald ('70), Member of the Anthropocene Working Group

Winner 2023

Laure Waridel ('16), Founder of Équiterre

Winner 2021

Felix Staehli ('08), Co-Founder of Impact Hub Genève and Lausanne.

Winner 2022

Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexican diplomat, Executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2016-2022).