Study trip of EU International Relations and Diplomacy students to Geneva
During the second week of March 2026, the students of the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies visited Geneva to learn more about the work of various international organisations as well as the coordination between the EU member states in the context of multilateral diplomacy. This allowed them to broaden their views on the role of the European Union in the world and discover more career options.
The first day started with a morning seminar at the World Meteorological Organization, kindly organised by DiploFoundation, during which students were introduced to International Geneva and discussed the latest developments on climate issues (e.g. IPCC reporting, early-warning systems) and digital issues (e.g. AI, cybersecurity). In the afternoon, the students visited the World Trade Organization, where a College of Europe alumni roundtable took place, as well as a lecture on the WTO reform prospects at the upcoming Ministerial Conference.
Another highlight was a visit of the Palais des Nations, the United Nations headquarters, where students interacted with experts from different bodies, including the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). A group of students also paid a visit to the Représentation permanente de la France auprès de la Conférence du désarmement à Genève to discuss the current challenges in international security, including the upcoming Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
On the third day, the students had the privilege to be welcomed by the Permanent Mission of the EU to the WTO and the Delegation of the EU to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva to address various issues of the EU’s external representation to multilateral organisations. Finally, they could choose one of the following institutions to be briefed about new developments on, respectively, social justice, the climate-security and terrorism-technology nexus, humanitarian work, and interparliamentary diplomacy: the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
In addition to many interesting lectures and interactive discussions, the students learned more about future career opportunities and enjoyed a Swiss cheese fondue dinner. The College of Europe is very grateful to all speakers for dedicating their time and sharing their expertise with the students.