UN Geneva offers a range of activities for students and graduates of various backgrounds. You can apply to participate in one of our calendar activities or request an organized group visit during which you can learn and discuss about a variety of topics related to the United Nations that are relevant for your field.
You need information about the United Nations, the League of Nations or the history of international cooperation? Browse our resources for your research project. In addition to the content available online, our library and archives staff are available to assist you.
The UN offers different programmes for students and young professionals who are interested in joining its work force. To find out more about prospective careers at the United Nations, please visit our dedicated careers page.
Programmes for students and graduates
Graduate Study Programme
The United Nations Information Service’s Graduate Study Programme provides an opportunity for young postgraduate students to deepen their understanding of the United Nations system through first-hand observation and study. The Graduate Study Programme is held at the United Nations Office at Geneva each year during the month of July.
International Law Seminar
The Seminar takes place on an annual basis and aims to enable postgraduate students or young university teachers specialised in international law, as well as young lawyers working in the international law field, to widen their knowledge of both the work of the International Law Commission and of the codification and progressive development of international law. It also provides an opportunity for lawyers coming from different legal systems and cultures to exchange views regarding items on the agenda of the Commission.
Human Rights Moot Court
The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court is a competition between students taking place annually at UN Geneva. Students from across the world meet at the Palais des Nations to debate a hypothetical human rights case from a victim’s versus a state’s perspective. The World Moot Court is the largest gathering of students, academics and judges around the theme of human rights in the world. It is co-organized by the Human Rights Council Branch in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
Information Programmes
Throughout the year the United Nations Information Service welcomes various groups from all over the world for information programmes designed to foster a better understanding of the many activities of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in Geneva. The programmes are prepared for groups of at least 20 people. The groups include university students, diplomats, public servants and representatives of non-governmental organizations or other associations. A programme may be spread over several hours or a full day.
This service is free of charge (except the guided tour included in the programme). The United Nations makes no financial contribution to the travel costs or accommodation expenses of the participants.Lectures, offered in English or in French, are followed by a question-and-answer session. Lectures in other UN official languages are possible but not guaranteed. To organize a specific presentation by other UN agencies and programmes, contact the relevant organizations directly.
A programme is composed of presentations (a maximum of four for a one-day programme) by UN officials and experts. Themes can include up to four of the following sessions:
- A guided tour of the Palais des Nations (ticket: 13 CHF per student; 15 CHF per adult)
- The United Nations in Geneva: a hub for multilateral diplomacy
- Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
- Promoting and defending human rights (choose between the human rights mechanism or the Human Rights Council)
- The coordination of humanitarian aid
- The challenges of climate change
Depending on the availability of speakers, the topics can be adapted.
All requests must be made in writing, at least four months in advance, to infoprogramgeneva@un.org. These should provide the following information:
- The name of the organization and of the accompanying person responsible for the group.
- The number of participants (minimum 20 persons).
- The dates proposed (as the calendar for the programmes is filled quickly, several possible dates may be suggested).
- The theme(s) chosen from the corresponding list.
UN Geneva Seminars Series
UN Geneva organizes annual seminars to deepen the academic world's knowledge on the activities of the United Nations and on its priorities and challenges in the years to come.
Two seminars are organized every year and held at the Palais des Nations, over one or two days. Primarily targeting students, representatives of universities and research institutes, each seminar promotes a specific theme. The series are comprised of a series of lectures by a panel of experts with various backgrounds (Representatives of NGOs, academies or administrations; experts from UN Agencies or independent experts) who present ideas and discuss the issues with the participants.
Seminar series may be held in English or French. Certificates of participation are awarded to students. Please contact us under infoprogramgeneva@un.org to find out about future seminar.
Information from and about International Organizations in Geneva
The website “GenevaImpact”
There are tons of information about and produced by the international organizations based in Geneva: reports, podcasts, video material, data bases… How to find what you’re looking for? Just with one click to GenevaImpact: a depository of over 200 up-to-date links to useful resources produced in Geneva.
The SDG Mapping
The international organizations based in Geneva are numerous and it is not always easy to understand who does what, specifically when talking about the Sustainable Development Goals. To provide an overview of the skills in Geneva, as well as of the projects and activities carried out, the Perception Change Project the “SDG Mapping”. This is a tool that visualizes the expertise of over 100 international actors based in Geneva. Based on a self-assessment by the international actors, the SDG Mapping provides examples of their work towards 10 areas of expertise for each SDG: norms and standard setting; legal framework and support; capacity building and training; coordination and mediation; research and collection of data; policy formulation; outreach, advocacy, and communication; data analysis harmonization and statistics; operation in field; financing. The SDG Mapping is available online, in an interactive and user-friendly platform where each participating organization can update their own assessment, and in a printed version.
The booklet “Multi-What?”
“Multilateralism” is often pictured as the driver towards a peaceful and sustainable world. But what does “multilateralism” mean? This short guide “Multi-What?” by the Perception Change Project of UN Geneva traces the history of multilateralism and the role played by the international organizations that are based Geneva. With concrete examples of solutions being developed and implemented in Geneva, this booklet shows the “practical side” of multilateralism and how this has an impact on everyone’s life, everywhere.