The Manila Chapter of the Graduate Institute was officially launched on May 23, 2013 at a festive event, which included Swiss delicacies raclette and white wine.

The event was organised by Alumni Natalie Bertsch and Marlyne Sahakian and included the participation of Sandra Tettamanti, Benedikt Huerzeler, Martin Kelemenis and Yannick Reichenau. Several other prominent members of the Alumni community in the Phillipines supported the event and pledged to participate in the chapter’s activities including Marizen Santos, Nell Marie Williams and Qifeng Zhang.

At the launch of the chapter, the organisers defined the scope of their future activities, which will be to encourage Filipino students to attend the Graduate Institute through promotional efforts at local universities as well to encourage current Institute students to come to Manila and learn more about the Philippines by taking up internship opportunities. The Chapter will welcome professors and researchers who visit Manila from the Graduate Institute and organise speaking opportunities around their visits. The newly formed group also intends to meet quarterly and to invite guest speakers to give presentations at select meetings.

For more information, please contact manila.chapter@graduateinstitute.ch

Tropical greetings from the Philippines!

Natalie Bertsch and Marlyne Sahakian, on behalf of the Manila Chapter