Efrat Gilad (Israel), PhD Candidate in International History and Politics
"What I value most about the Graduate Institute is the diversity of students and faculty members.
There is no better way to challenge your own premises than in a seminar – or a brainstorming session over coffee – with a group of open-minded peers who come from different countries and speak different languages. This stimulating environment is exactly what I desired when I applied to the Institute.
While I cherish the years I spent at Tel Aviv University, the past year at the Graduate Institute has challenged me more than ever before. Just one year ago, I was living in Tel Aviv, graduating cum laude, holding a Research Assistant position, and was well on my way to a PhD. Still, I felt limited. I was in need of a major challenge, a completely new perspective in order to deconstruct narratives that were confining me as a historian and as a person. Due to its diversity, the Institute is not confined to any narrative and a critical reflection is almost built directly into this institution. For me, this is priceless.
At the Graduate Institute I found faculty members who know you by name and encourage you to follow your passion. The International History and Politics programme is rigorous and the professors are demanding, but they are also very generous with their time and advice.
Today, I am inspired and energised and feel that I have found a home from which I can pursue my academic goals. I am again on my way to a PhD, but the one I always wanted to write, not the one I thought I should write.
Finally, the Institute’s location in the heart of International Geneva is ideal. Not only does this promote diversity, but the abundance of international organisations and archives within reach are imperative for a well-grounded, globally conscious historian."