One year on

For those who I haven’t had the opportunity to meet, a quick introduction to start us off. Hello, I’m Bernard, the newest faculty member who joined the department in January after moving all the way from Melbourne, Australia (a bit of a roll of the dice given the long distance, I know). 

The promise represented by the turning of the season and the inexorable hurtling towards Christmas, not to mention a prompt from Eve to contribute to the IHP newsletter, has brought about a certain level of reflexivity at the time of writing. If you had told me a few years ago that I would be living and working in Geneva in the next few years, I probably would have given a wry laugh and dismissed it as being about as likely as me moving to Nebraska. After spending (almost) a year here, I have to admit that it still doesn’t feel quite real even though I like to think I’ve managed to settle into life in the department and the Institute more broadly. This was of course in no small part courtesy of the IHP community at large, all of whom have contributed to make me feel at home here. In particular, I am extremely grateful for the generosity of my colleagues as they helped me navigate not only the complexities of the job but also life in Geneva; the unfailing patience of Eve as I ask yet another question about how things work; the conscientiousness of my poor teaching assistants who must bear with my unfamiliarity with everything IHEID- and Switzerland-related; the curiosity and openness of the PhD candidates who have always had time to have a chat with me despite how busy they are with their projects; and the Masters students who have been brave enough to stick with courses offered by the untried and untested new professor.

From my very first day as a faculty member, I was made to feel welcome into a tight-knit community, which is a rare and valuable thing. I hope I will be able to help sustain the ties that bind the community together going forward. In lieu of a conventional conclusion, I thought I would perhaps share a few snapshots of the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of my time so far. 

Good

• A joyous spring party to end last academic year with a musical performance featuring insect sounds.
• Being able to meet and hear about all the fascinating projects that everyone from the faculty- to MA-level are working on.
• Co-curating the International History and Politics Forum for this semester with Aidan (here is where I spruik the Forum and ask that everyone come along if they can).
• Having the opportunity to teach a wonderfully diverse range of students whose enthusiasm and willingness to engage really make teaching a joy.

Bad

• Trying to search for an apartment at the start of the year at the same time as everyone else was. 
• Dealing with the … intricacies of legal requirements associated with life in Switzerland (i.e. work permit, health insurance, taxation).

Ugly

• My horrendous attempts at speaking French at the start of the year.

Professor Keo is a member of the department’s Energy Task Force, working alongside Prof. Aidan Russell, TAs Bidemi Balogun and Margaux Guigal for the ongoing IHP Forum.