Geneva, Switzerland: Graduate Internships in International Organizations
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What You Need to Know
This program places graduate students in internships with international organizations in Geneva. The first week of the nine-week program is devoted to an intensive introductory course on international organizations and an orientation to Geneva. For the next eight weeks students will work in an international organization. Geneva is one of the headquarters of the United Nations including the High Commissioners for Human Rights and for Refugees and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It is also home the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that focus on international problems. Interns have been placed in all of these and usually perform tasks such as policy research, writing reports, designing newsletters, and supporting international negotiations. Sometimes, interns are invited to attend conferences or undertake field missions outside of Switzerland.
An effort will be made to place interns in organizations whose activities match their interests, although these matches cannot be guaranteed. Some internships are arranged in advance and will be allocated competitively, other internships are not finalized until April. Students may apply directly for internships at international organizations. In some internships, students may be asked to stay on after the program ends. Students who accept the longer internships are responsible for their own living arrangements after the program ends.
Students successfully completing the nine-week program will earn six graduate credits in international relations from Syracuse University.
Practicum in International Organizations
(IRP, 711, 6 credits, graduate)
The course involves a five-day-per-week internship in one of the many international organizations located in Geneva. The internship is intended to provide students with exposure to the day-to-day problems and challenges faced by a particular international organization.
The internship is augmented by an initial orientation in which concepts of how to understand the workings of international organizations are presented as well as visits to a number of offices for briefings. Then there are evening seminars that consist of guest lectures by international officials, and of group presentations by students on topics related to their area of work. Receptions and group meals provide the opportunity to extend discussions beyond the seminar room. In addition to the group presentation, students use the summer to develop a topic for an independent research paper due at the end of August. The students are evaluated on the basis of participation in the seminar, the group presentation, their internship performance, and the research paper.
John Mathiason is Professor of International Relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University where he teaches courses on international public and NGO management. He was a career staff member of the United Nations, where he held high-level policy positions for many years. He has written extensively on the role of the international public sector. He directed the program in the summers of 2005, 2006, and 2007. You can contact the professor: John Mathiason jrmathia@maxwell.syr.edu.
Any student who is pursuing a graduate degree program in a field related to international relations (e.g., international relations, political science, history, sociology, law, communications, geography, etc.) is eligible to apply. A basic knowledge of French is desirable but not required.
Students are strongly urged to apply well before the application deadline to allow sufficient time to match them with an international organization.
Participants arrange and pay for their own transatlantic flights. They should arrange to arrive in Geneva on May 27.
Advantage Travel specializes in student fares and can assist with flight arrangements for your summer program. For more information, please contact Sally Curtis at scurtis@advantagecny.com or 1-800-788-1980.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not purchase your airline ticket before receiving written notification from us that you can book your flight. You will have to present this notification if we cancel the program at a later date, and you want to be reimbursed for the cost of the ticket.
Students are housed in shared rooms at the John Knox International Center for the duration of the program. The John Knox Center provides spartan living arrangements in small-shared rooms, limited dining facilities, and lounge areas. There are no cooking facilities at the John Knox Center. It is set in a park-like region on the outskirts of Geneva near most international organizations. Students travel by bus from the John Knox Center to the center of town. Most of the lectures will be held in the John Knox Center. Students may elect to arrange their own accommodations elsewhere. Students who decide to live independently must notify SU Abroad at the time of application so that the program fee can be adjusted accordingly.
| Housing begins: | May 25, 2008 |
| Program begins: | May 26, 2008 |
| Program ends: | July 25, 2008 |
| Housing ends: | July 26, 2008 |
| Application deadline: | Program Full |
*Applications received after February 15 will be considered if there is still space in the program.
| GRADUATE (6 credits) | |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $6,408 |
| Program Fee | $1,845 (Estimated) |
| Total | $8,253 (Estimated) |