63rd GRADUATE STUDY PROGRAMME
The 63rd Graduate Study Programme will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 30 June to 11 July 2025 under the theme: “UN80: United for a Better Future” and will focus on the implementation of the historic Pact for the Future in the year when the United Nations turns 80.The Programme will consist of morning lectures given by representatives of the United Nations, other international organizations, civil sector, and diplomats; workshops; visits to institutions; and work on group projects in the afternoons. Students will be divided into several working groups which will research different aspects of the Pact for the Future and its annexes and explore the overall way forward at a time when the multilateral system is facing numerous challenges. This research and drafting process will be student-led, with limited support from facilitators.
The Pact for the Future and its annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, were adopted by consensus at the Summit of the Future in New York on 22 September 2024. The Pact for the Future is the culmination of a years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Its objective is to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. Adopted ahead of the United Nations’ 80th anniversary, the Pact is seen as a strong statement of countries’ commitment to the UN and its Charter, the international system and international law. This is the most wide-ranging international agreement in many years, covering both new areas and issues on which agreement had not been possible in decades. The document contains clear commitments and deliverables on sustainable development and financing, peace and security, digital cooperation, youth and future generations and global governance. Each chapter and the annexes include concrete actions related to human rights and gender equality as cross-cutting issues.
The Programme will be very intensive, with an average time commitment of eight to ten hours per day over the course of ten days. While participation in the Programme is free of charge, participants will be expected to cover their own expenses of visa, travel, board, and lodging in Geneva. The United Nations Office at Geneva is in no position to provide scholarships or arrange for sponsorships.
The Graduate Study Programme is open to all currently enrolled graduate students, who are between 22 and 32 years of age, are not employed full time, and are fluent in both written and spoken English. Knowledge of French is an advantage. Applications will be accepted from Wednesday, 18 December 2024 until Friday, 28 February 2025 (12 noon Geneva time). Only complete applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Candidates are discouraged from using AI-enabled tools such as Chat GPT to draft their motivation letters or other parts of their applications. Candidates are required to indicate clearly if they have in fact used AI-enabled tools and for what purpose.
In selecting participants, the Selection Committee will consider academic qualifications of the applicants, their extracurricular activities and achievements, relevant professional experience, languages spoken, as well as the applicants’ motivation, while trying to ensure fair gender and regional balance.
All candidates will be informed of the results in the first week of April 2025. Candidates are thus asked not to inquire about their application status until then. All decisions by the Selection Committee are final.
