Advocacy in International Affairs

Patrick Boehler '19

Executive Editor responsible for Audience and Innovation at SWI, Switzerland

"Newsrooms face similar challenges and opportunities as the communications branches of companies, political parties, NGOs and international organisations. How do we best reach, inform and engage audiences effectively as media consumption habits change and traditional power structures erode fast and amid an avalanche of 'content'."

I took this course to learn best practices from other industries and find inspiration to distribute journalism better. I learned much more: I gained a new understanding of how the other side engages journalists and how that could be different. I've also gained a better understanding of how we can leverage communication processes to benefit the interests of journalists, how other actors try to build trust and authority among stakeholders and communities and how to communicate effectively familiar narratives of purpose inside and outside an organisation.

Most importantly, I've learned why and how my role as a journalist can be far more significant than to tell stories."

Patrick Boehler is the Executive Editor responsible for audience and innovation at SWI, the international service of the Swiss public broadcaster, and the managing editor of the Global Environmental Reporting Collective, an international group of journalists working to expose environmental crimes. He previously worked for the New York Times, the South China Morning Post and other publications in Asia and taught at the University of Hong Kong. 

Cécile duprez-naudy '17

Global Public Affairs Director at Moët Hennessy

"This course provides a unique framework that combines academic teaching, case studies, and practical advice. A focus on topics such as crisis management and stakeholder engagement ensures that we are well-equipped to design and implement impactful advocacy campaigns."

At the time of the programme, Cécile Duprez-Naudy was working as Global Advocacy Lead for Nestlé SA in Vevey. Having held a number of public affairs roles at Nestlé, she provided guidance and leadership on the scaling up of the global advocacy strategy. Cécile has a Master in European Studies from the Catholic Institute of Paris. Before joining Nestlé, she worked as Senior Account Manager for European Public Policy Advisors in Belgium.

Luca Gobbo '16

Deputy Cantonal Information Officer, Swiss Foreign Ministry EDA, Switzerland

"I joined the Advocacy programme because the content and the teaching methods are varied and of very high quality. Paired with the Graduate Institute's international reputation and the ideal setting in International Geneva, this program offers great practical and theoretical knowledge on advocacy."

Luca Gobbo grew up as a son of a diplomat and has lived in several countries across the world. Holding a Master in European Studies from LUISS School of Government in Rome, he worked as a policy officer in the foreign policy division of the Conference of cantonal governments (CCG) in Switzerland, where he was responsible for different dossiers, such as human rights and/or specific EU-Swiss bilateral agreements.