In the presence of the Heads of the Executive Education, Academic Outreach, Career Services and Alumni sections of the Graduate Institute, participants of INP 2011-2012, family members and friends, 25 new graduates received their Executive Master diploma and joined the Alumni community of the Graduate Institute.
The ceremony opened with some words from Dr Matthew Leitner, director of the Executive Master for the last two editions. Dr Leitner celebrated the accomplishment of the new graduates and stressed how valuable the input of the group was in course sessions. He remarked how the diversity of their nationalities, cultural and professional background had not only made possible fascinating exchanges of ideas in the classroom, but had also allowed participants to open their minds to different perspectives and views and, ultimately, learn from each other. Dr Leitner commented on the outstanding quality of their dissertations.
Next to address the graduates was Dr Robert Weibel, founder of the Center for European Negotiation and Decision-Making (CENAD). Dr Weibel, who had led practical sessions on negotiation throughout the duration of the programme, officially welcomed the graduates to the world of international negotiation. In his speech, he reviewed some of the challenges that awaited them at the time of putting in practice their newly-acquired skills in their professional lives. Dr Weibel encouraged the graduates to face them with the conviction that agreements are only a reasonable compromise away.
Two graduates took the stage as well to deliver a congratulatory message. First, Mr Philip Lang recalled being impressed by the credentials of the faculty, by the content of the programme, by how the negotiation exercises reflected real-life world events, and by the diversity in qualities and character of his fellow graduates. He thanked the latter for having enriched his life with their knowledge, experience, stories, and friendship. Secondly, Mrs Simone Aeschlimann said she appreciated that participants of Executive Education programmes at the Graduate Institute are working professionals who attend the lectures with a baggage of experiences, opinions and stories that they share selflessly. She underlined that one of the most important lessons she had learnt during the Executive Master INP is that one single person often triggered the most lasting changes in the world. In this sense, she trusted that her fellow graduates would participate in efforts to reach agreements that would shape the future, set landmarks and make history. In the name of all graduates, Mrs Aeschlimann and Mr. Lang then took the opportunity to present Dr Leitner with a donation for the humanitarian foundation Krousar Thmey in Cambodia, for which he acts as Vice-President.
The occasion also marked the launch of the 2011-2012 edition of this programme, with its recently appointed new director, Dr Sophie Huber-Kodbaye. Dr Huber has worked intensively in making the programme ever more practice-oriented. One of the many interesting aspects of Executive Education at the Graduate Institute is that courses and programmes are enriched by the constant arrival of new academics and practitioners to Geneva for professional reasons. The faculty of the Executive Master INP is renewed each year, and practitioners from international and non-governmental organisations –based in Geneva and abroad- join the programme as session leaders or guest speakers in specially organised evening lectures.
The Executive Master INP is a part-time programme that provides participants with a deep understanding of world issues. It prepares working professionals to take part in multilateral global governance, decision and policy-making and international negotiation in the public and private sectors. Over nine months, participants attend academic lectures on world affairs given by the permanent faculty at the Graduate Institute, familiarise themselves with the practical challenges of global governance in presentations given by high-level guest speakers, and partake in workshops to hone their negotiation, mediation and leadership skills under the supervision of professionals in these fields. Each year 15 to 30 professionals are admitted in this programme, which has quickly become the flagship of the Graduate Institute’s Executive Education section, and the template for the design of an ever expanding offer of executive courses, certificates and diplomas.
Alumni of the programme are entitled to Career Services (personalised coaching, access to job offers, invitation to career events, CV book), invitations to the Graduate Institute Events and a permanent Graduate Institute email address upon request. They are encouraged to join Alumni Chapters in their respective countries or regions in order to maintain and strengthen the links between them and with the Institute. .