For Organisations

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)

The Geneva Graduate Institute and the FDFA, represented by the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, signed on 11 November 2025 the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding for the period 2025–2029, reaffirming the complementarity of their strategic orientations.

Marie Laure Salles, Director of the Institute, emphasises: “This protocol reaffirms our shared commitment to making Geneva a platform for reflection, diplomacy, and concrete action to address global challenges.”

The areas of collaboration focus on research and intellectual contributions to major global issues, particularly those related to peace and security, equity and sustainability, and the transformation of multilateralism. They also include facilitating diplomatic platforms and training diplomats.

Achim Wennmann, Director of Strategic Partnerships, notes that this signing continues a long-standing relationship between the Institute and the FDFA, marked by several decades of collaboration in research and teaching, and supported by the engagement of many Institute alumni.

Senior-Level Exchange on Elections to Peace

The second edition of the “Senior Level Exchange on Elections to Peace (E2P)” was organised by Switzerland to provide experienced practitioners and officials a platform to analyse and exchange strategies to prevent political violence and support peaceful elections.

Designed as a three-day retreat from 16 to 18 November 2022, E2P provided a peer-to-peer exchange platform, critical feedback from established experts and views from high-level representatives and academics. By combining conflict prevention, mediation and technical support, delegations from Georgia, Kosovo, Nigeria and Zimbabwe reflected on their experiences and exchanged ideas on implementing more effective initiatives. The event’s main goal was to identify and highlight strategies and tools to increase trust in electoral processes.

E2P was co-organised by the Graduate Institute, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Peace and Human Rights Division from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Environmental Peacebuilding Training

The Geneva Water Hub, our Institute and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia have joined forces to develop a training course on “Environmental Peacebuilding” which took place in Geneva in November 2023. This course aimed to comprehensively explore the theoretical foundations, legal frameworks, and challenges associated with environmental peacebuilding.

This training course was designed for military personnel, law enforcement officers, international crisis management civilian personnel and diplomats.

Young Arab Diplomatic Leaders Programme

In October 2025, the Executive Education team partnered with the Arab Youth Centre to deliver a high-impact online course as part of the Young Arab Diplomatic Leaders Programme. Over one week, participants explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the art of negotiation and global diplomacy. Guided by experts Nicholas Niggli, Dr Jérôme Duberry, and Matthias Sander, the sessions combined interactive workshops, real-world case studies and simulations.

Building on the successful collaboration established during the previous edition, this year’s training focused on “Negotiation in the Age of AI”, offering participants a unique opportunity to strengthen their skills in economic diplomacy through an innovative and forward-looking lens.

The online programme brought together mid- to senior-level Arab diplomats and professionals from across the region, equipping them with tools to navigate complex global negotiations and to understand the strategic implications of artificial intelligence for diplomacy and governance.

Colloquium on Justice in the Digital Age

In November 2025, Executive Education contributed to judicial training in Sri Lanka. The Colloquium on Justice in the Digital Age brought together 75 judicial officers from across Sri Lanka to explore in depth AI and digital technologies in the justice sector.

International experts from the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Executive Education contributed sessions on:

• Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
• Data protection and digital rights
• Financial crime in digital environments
• Cryptocurrency and digital transactions
• Regulatory and governance frameworks

This Colloquium is part of the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE), funded by the European Union in Sri Lanka, implemented by UNDP and UNICEF Sri Lanka, and conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Justice.

By strengthening judicial understanding of emerging technologies, Sri Lanka is taking an important step toward building a more resilient, informed, and future-ready justice system.

World Diplomacy Programme

The Geneva Graduate Institute - Executive Education department has partnered with the Gulf Research Center Foundation to launch the World Diplomacy Programme – June 2026.

This intensive leadership course will equip mid-level professionals with the tools and insight needed to navigate today’s complex international environment.

Delivered in five modules over one week, the programme takes place in Geneva, a hub of diplomacy and global governance. It combines academic excellence with practical training to strengthen participants’ leadership capabilities and deepen their understanding of the political, economic, and security dynamics shaping the global agenda.

The programme covers five themes: diplomacy and negotiation, political change and transition, mediation in conflict zones, security, and the economics and future of trade. Each module examines key issues, including negotiation techniques, strategic foresight, crisis management, mediation in asymmetric contexts, evolving security doctrines, and shifting trade patterns. By engaging with leading scholars, practitioners, and senior officials, participants gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the Gulf region and the broader international community.

Designed for government officials, diplomats, and senior professionals from ministries, national security councils, chambers of commerce, and policy think tanks, the World Diplomacy Programme will equip participants to negotiate, mediate, and assess geopolitical and economic trends with confidence and expertise.