Geneva, Switzerland

Tom Drennen, Economics (Fall '01)

View Prof. Drennen's Photo Albums from the Fall 2001 Program
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The primary foci of this program are global issues such as justice, international conflicts, development, the environment, and refugees, as they are addressed by international organizations. The program will take advantage of the fact that many of these organizations, both intergovernmental and non-governmental, have their headquarters in Geneva. Students will be introduced to these issues and organizations by through courses and a field-based research project. As Geneva is located within the French speaking area of Switzerland, students will have the opportunity to speak French. To make this possible students should have taken at least one course in French at the college level prior to the beginning of the program.

PROGRAM DATES
August 25 to December 7, 2001

ACCOMMODATIONS
For the first half of the program we anticipate housing students in apartments of the Protestant Student Center (CUP). Each student will have a private room in a suite of 5?7 rooms with a common bathroom, kitchen and living room. Suite mates will include other international students living in Geneva. At the CUP there is no cafeteria, so students should expect to prepare breakfast and lunch. Dinner will be provided at a nearby restaurant every evening. As food is expensive in Geneva, participants will need to budget carefully. During the second half of the program students will be housed in another location, such as a tourist or business hotel.

EXCURSIONS
Students will have an opportunity to see several selected sites in Switzerland as a part of the program. Overnight trips to Bernese Oberland region, Bern and Basel in the German (majority) portion of the country and Lugano in the south of Switzerland, bordering on Italy, and Zurich/Lucerne. Day trips to the Jura Region. Given Switzerland's central location, students also have excellent possibilities to travel independently to other parts of the continent.

ELIGIBILITY
Open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors. At least one course in college level French is required. Students should have a solid grade point average and submit a strong personal statement that outlines clearly why participation in the program would help to fulfill academic and personal goals. Students must be able to do independent work and take initiatives both with regard to their research on organizations and in seeking out tastes of Swiss and international cultures in Geneva.

APPROXIMATE COSTS
Students will be charged the normal HWS tuition, $500 administrative fee, and room fees plus approximately half board is $16,288. This will cover housing and all course-related expenses including most excursion expenses. Additional expenses not charged by HWS include airfare, about half of the meals during the program, books, local transportation, and independent travel. While these additional expenses vary according to individual tastes and needs, we estimate a total of at least $3500.

Human Right, Refugees, and International Relations (Professor Charles Henry Bazoche--Local Adjunct Faculty) Using the case studies of refugee issues in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia, the course will examine the complex problems of how refugees are created, defined, and resettled. In particular participants will study how the internationally recognized corpus of humanitarian law applies to war situations causing massive displacement of population. The history of states and groups concerned will be briefly reviewed with particular attention to ethnic, gender, and religious factors. The contemporary problems of refugees/immigrants/guest workers in Switzerland will also be examined.

Globalization (Professor Drennen) The course focus will be on the benefits and problems associated with the ongoing trend towards open borders and expanded free trade. The recently created World Trade Organizations (1995) is located in Geneva, making Geneva a great place to study the implications for world economics, the environment, and workers.

Political Science 472 or Economics 450: Directed Field Research (Research Seminar conducted by the HWS Resident Faculty Director and local adjunct) Geneva abounds in intergovernmental organizations. Each student will be assigned an international organization based on his or her interest. The structure, activities and impacts of these organizations provide a rich subject matter for the study. Students will be responsible for contacting people in the organization, setting up and conducting interviews, gathering documentation about the organization, and doing other necessary research to develop an understanding of the organization and its place in the field of international development. Examples of past placements include: UN agencies, NGO refugee organizations, and the World Trade Organization. These are not internships; rather they are an opportunity to study the workings of these organizations up close. Students will meet weekly with Professor Drennen in a seminar type setting to discuss their particular organization. Each week, students will be asked to look at the organization from a different angle as a way of understanding its overall effectiveness in meeting its organizational goals.

French Instruction and Swiss Culture and History Students will be immersed in French Language classes. Students will be placed based on their French competency. In addition to French instruction, various speakers will discuss Swiss culture and history.