Dear visitor,

It is with pleasure that we are sending the second edition of our new Swiss Learning newsletter.

This month we will be presenting our alumni reunion event that took place in Tokyo. The success of this event proved that the link the alumni students have kept with our country is very tight.

We would also like to take this opportunity to highlight 2 new projects which have come to fruition in the Swiss university sector:

First of all the launching of the new website on the ranking forum of Swiss universities www.universityrankings.ch the objective of this site is not to create another ranking table but to present a synthesis of the positioning of the Swiss universities in these tables and to give them the opportunity to comment their positions.

Secondly, following along the lines of the humanitarian tradition of Switzerland, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, has created the only available master's programme of international law related to armed conflicts and emergency situations.

Enjoy reading

Christophe X. Clivaz
Director

Swissness, not a concept, a reality.

On October 27th 2007 more than 350 Alumni of Swiss universities and boarding schools attended the cocktail party hosted by His Excellency Paul Fivat, Ambassador of Switzerland in Japan, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo.

The former students were given the opportunity to share their long-lasting affection for their former schools and universities and to show that the friendships that they have built during their studies in Switzerland have remained strong over the years.

Swiss Learning has, from the beginning, associated with companies synonymous with excellence and guarantors of the Swiss savoir faire. It is for this reason that companies such as UBS, Audemars Piguet and Swiss International Airlines were partners in this project. At each jointly organized event a real feeling of "Swissness" appears. The alumni students who have studied in this country conserve a deep attachment with Switzerland and as soon as the opportunity arises to relight the Swiss flame either professionally or personally, they do it with great enthusiasm.

This successful event is part of a range of similar international events being planned to promote the excellence of Swiss education worldwide.

Swiss schools and universities alumni

Go mugino, Audemars Piguet, Mr & Mrs. Sakiyama, Paul Fivat Ambassador

Swiss schools and universities alumni

New website for the international ranking of Swiss universities

As a result of the globalization in the domain of the education, we are submerged in a profusion of international university rankings according to "performance" criteria. However, the results of the classifications can vary a lot according to the methodologies used. To enable the students and the public to find the right university in Switzerland the State Secretary for education and the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities have created the website www.universityrankings.ch

The international classifications such as the Times Higher Education Supplement World Ranking or the Academic Ranking of World Universities from the University of Jiaotong in Shanghai are each based on different criteria to rank teaching quality and searching for a university. Therefore the same university can find itself, for example, in a higher or lower ranking. Swiss Universities, which are appearing more and more in these evaluations, are also touched by this phenomenon.

The new site www.universityrankings.ch gives to both the students and the public an overall view of the positions of each of the Swiss Higher Education Schools against their international competition. It allows you to quickly see the position of Swiss universities in the main international ranking tables. The goal of this initiative is not to create another classification table but to improve the "performance evaluation" of universities, in a larger and more critical context and to explain the different methodologies used. The Swiss Higher Education Schools also have the possibility to add their comments to the site and even the results that they have obtained in the different rankings.

MAS in International Humanitarian Law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Created in 2007 and succeeding the University Centre of International Humanitarian Law (UCIHL), the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights offers the only available master's programme that provides complete training in the field of international law related to armed conflicts and emergency situations.

Historic home of lawyer Gustave Moynier, first President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, will soon host the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

The one-year Master of Advanced Studies (LL.M.) in International Humanitarian Law involves advanced compulsory courses in international humanitarian law, international law relating to the use of force and peacekeeping, international law of human rights, international criminal law. It also includes optional courses on more specific subjects such as terrorism, refugee law and the UN human rights system. Students participate in a simulated negotiation and specialised modules given by experts and professionals of international organisations and NGOs based in Geneva and write a master's thesis to complete the requirements of the programme, which can be followed either in English or in French.

The Academy has developed numerous partnerships with international organisations based in Geneva, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, thereby allowing graduates to build a personalised network of future professional contacts. The Master's degree is jointly awarded by the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

In addition to the MAS programme, the Academy organises specialised training courses for professionals such as journalists, diplomats or military staff. These courses are tailor-made to provide the knowledge and understanding necessary to deal with various legal questions concerning armed conflict and usually run for 2-5 days.

The research programme is also an essential aspect of the Academy's activities. It is focused on exploring the full range of legal rights and obligations applicable in times of armed conflict. The Academy organises expert meetings and conducts research projects on subjects such as the Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts, Private Military Contractors, and the Challenges of Terrorism for Humanitarian Law.