THE GENEVA CHALLENGE 2025

The 2025 Advancing Development Goals International Contest for Graduate Students aims to present innovative and pragmatic solutions to address the challenges of migration

Eager to stimulate reflection and innovation on development issues from diverse disciplinary and contextual perspectives and with the generous support of Ambassador Jenö Staehelin, the Graduate Institute launched the Advancing Development Goals Contest, an international competition for Master students, in 2014.

The idea is to gather contributions that are both theoretically grounded and offer pragmatic solutions to a relevant international development problem stemming from an interdisciplinary collaboration between three to five enrolled master students from anywhere in the world.

Learn more about the contest here.

The Challenges of migration

 

The world is currently experiencing one of the largest waves of migration in history. In 2020, over 280 million individuals (or 3.6% of the world’s population) lived outside their country of birth. Meanwhile, migration occurs within a country's borders.

The number of people forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution, and climate-related disasters has increased over the past decades, reaching 122.6 million in 2024. Among them, 43.7 million are formally recognised as refugees. The vast majority of refugees, around 71%, is hosted by low- and middle-income countries that often face significant challenges in meeting the needs of their own populations. Just as voluntary migration occurs within a country's borders, so does forced displacement, referred to as internal displacement. In 2024, the 72.1 million internally displaced people made up more than half of all forcibly displaced people globally.

Migration is an integral part of human history, shaping economies, cultures, and societies across the globe. However, migration also presents complex challenges. In addition to affecting the migrants themselves, it also affects the host countries that receive them and the sending countries they leave behind. Thus, the challenges of migration require innovative solutions that turn these challenges into opportunities.

Learn more about this year's topic

Call for Proposals

Learn more about the contest

Rules and Regulations 2025

SEMI-FINALIST TEAMS 2025

Cover Page of Kweya Project

KWEYA: Indigenous Knowledge Continuity

Cover Page of AfriBridge project

AfriBridge Connect: A Digital Solution for Intra-African Migrant Integration

Cover Page of Green Anchor Zones project

Green Anchor Zones: Local Microclimate Engineering for Climate Migrant Communities

Cover Page of Sola Project

SOLA: Empowering Moroccan Seasonal Women Workers in Spain Through Digital Dignity, Voice, and Protection

Cover Page of Project Sanyoga

Project Sanyoga: Bridging Gendered Digital Divide in Kutupalong Refugee Community

Cover Page of Pathways project

Pathways: Helping Young Immigrants Navigate Their Journey With Compassion and Understanding Through Support Services

Cover Page of Unum Somos Uno Project

UNUM SomosUno

Cover Page of Titulos Sin Fronteras project

Titulos Sin Fronteras

Cover Page of Digital Migrants Contributing Visa project

Digital Migrants’ Contribution Visa: Monetizing Global Nomadism for Local Development

Cover Page of Project Minsa

Project Minsa: Reclaiming Rights and Recognition through a Digital Gateway for Undocumented Migrant Children in South Korea

Cover Page of ReRoot Futures project

ReRoot Futures: A Biometric Pathway to Learning and Identity Across Borders

Cover Page of Bridging the Gap project

Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Access to Higher Education for Children of Migrant Labourers

Cover page of PATH (Peer Action for Teen Health) project

PATH: Peer Action for Teen Health

Gover Page of Towards Integrated Support in Canada project

Toward Integrated Support: Strengthening Canada's Immigration Support for Immigrants and Families

Cover Page of ICSFDP project

Implementing the International Credentialing System for Forcibly Displaced Persons (ICSFDP)