Survey of International Organizations (SIO)
Academic Information
The Survey of International Organizations (SIO), established in 2003, provides students with an overview of the goals, functioning and significance of key international organizations in today’s fast changing global environment. The course examines the achievements and failures of some of the world’s most important economic, political and humanitarian organizations from an interdisciplinary perspective. The SIO offers students an intellectually stimulating, innovative and diverse program of study in a safe environment, with maximum exposure to the cultural and political life of contemporary Switzerland, Europe and the world of international diplomacy.
The structure of the SIO revolves around regular coursework and relevant study visits. The interdisciplinary course is organized into modules in various areas of study including economics, political science, international relations and international law. Class meetings are held three to four days a week, with one or two days reserved for on-site visits allowing students to see the day-to-day operations and meet with senior representatives of major international organizations, such as the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Labor Organization, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross (all based in Geneva), as well as the E.U. Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in nearby Strasbourg, France.
Financial Aid: students should work with their home institution to obtain support.
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Tentative Course Schedule Summer
Monday – July 1 Arrivals / Program Orientation / Academic Orientation
Module I, IV (July 2 - July 3) INTERNATIONAL LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS
Tuesday – July 2
AM: International Human Rights Law: An Introduction (Andrea Egbuna-Joss, University of Fribourg)
PM: The Role of International Organizations & Global Solutions (Joanna Bourke, Geneva Academy of IHL/HR)
Wednesday – July 3
AM: Workshop preparations HR, EU, ADV - TBA (University of Fribourg)
PM: (departure at 13:00) Study Visit
Module II (July 3 - July 5) INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Wednesday – July 3
AM: The World Trade Organization: A Peculiar Actor in Global Economic Governance (Sean Stacy, World Trade Institute, Berne)
PM: The Role of a National Intellectual Property Office in an International Context (K. Houshang Pour, Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, Berne)
PM+: Human Rights Workshop (TBA, University of Fribourg)
Thursday - July 4
AM: Swiss-US Economic Relations: Challenges and Perspectives (Philippe Nell, Former Minister, Head of Americas Unit, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs)
PM: How Foreign Aid is Used Strategically by Donor Countries (Mark Schelker, University of Fribourg)
Friday - July 5
Study visit UN Geneva
Module III (July 8 - 12) EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS
Monday – July 8
Study visit UN Geneva
Tuesday – July 9
AM: Institutional Law of the European Union (Evamaria Hunziker, University of Fribourg)
PM: The European Union and Switzerland (Bernhard Altermatt, Center for European Studies)
Wednesday – July 10
AM: Midterm Exam
PM: Workshop on European Union and International Institutions (TBA, University of Fribourg)
Thursday – July 11
2-days of Study visit, Strasbourg, France
(Departure: 6:00)
Friday – July 12
(return to Fribourg 19:00)
Module IV (July 15 - 19) POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Monday – July 15
AM: Investigating War Crimes, Protecting the Victims, Helping the Refugees (Oleksandra Mathivcuk, Nobel Prize winner, Center for Civil Liberties)
PM: Fundamentals of International Diplomacy (Christian Schoenenberger, Ambassador Emeritus, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) + Iryna Venedyktova (Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland)
Tuesday – July 16
AM: Digital Propaganda & Information Warfare (Andrew Armstrong, George Mason University)
PM: Making a Difference in Cold War II: The world is being reshaped; where do you go to try to make a positive impact in the 2020s) (Ian Stewart, Chairman Wheels Plus Wings/Founder of Wired Magazine)
PM: Workshop: Advocacy (TBA, University of Fribourg)
Wednesday – July 17
AM: UNDP Sustainable Development Goals and Promotion of Human Rights: Using ‘Sports’ as a device to promote human rights (TBA, University of Fribourg)
PM: Environmental Humanities, Sustainability and Justice (Ivo Wallimann-Helmer, University of Fribourg)
Thursday – July 18
AM: Final Exam Review
PM: Final Exam
Friday – July 19
Independent study – deadline for term papers
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Admission Requirements
Admission to the SIO is open to qualified undergraduates or graduate students:
- in good academic standing at a recognized college/university
- fluency in English (both written and oral)
- GPA of 3.0 or equivalent
- valid travel documents (passport).
Submission of all application materials online must be completed by March 15.
Completed application forms should be submitted as early as possible to provide adequate time for consideration. It is in the best interest of the candidate to apply early as places are limited.
