Written by Philippe Sion and Loytavian Harrel. Read the original article.

“The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (the Graduate Institute) is an institution of research and higher education dedicated to the study of world affairs, based out of Geneva, Switzerland, an international city and a center of global governance. By intensely engaging with international organizations, NGO’s, governments and multinational companies, it participates in global discussions and prepares future policy-makers to lead tomorrow’s world. It aims to promote international cooperation and make a contribution to the progress of developing societies. More broadly, it endeavors to develop creative thinking on the major challenges of our time, foster global responsibility and advance respect for diversity.

The Graduate Institute has recently gained an alumni chapter in the San Francisco Bay Area (the SFBA Alumni Chapter). This further reinforces the Graduate Institute’s current marketing and recruiting campaigns aimed towards increasing its global visibility and reinforcing existing academic ties around the globe.

Through the volunteer efforts of alumni Philippe Sion and Loytavian Harrell, the Graduate Institute has welcomed the SFBA Alumni Chapter to its stable of alumni chapters and ambassadorships around the world. In a few short months, the SFBA Alumni Chapter has grown from 18 to 25 members and held 3 very successful events. The Chapter also represented the Graduate Institute at local graduate school fairs held by Idealist, the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs and the American Anthropological Association.

“The SFBA Alumni Chapter will focus on supporting the Graduate Institute’s recruiting and academic efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area, engaging and collaborating with European-based or focused organizations and networking at professional and social levels,” said Philippe Sion. “Our alumni chapter is extremely diverse,” added Loytavian Harrell, “with nationalities that span the globe, graduation years that range from the 1970s up through this past September 2012, and degrees that include history, law, public policy and other fields. This really mirrors the DNA of the Graduate Institute.”

The SFBA Alumni Chapter looks forward to undertaking its memberdriven mandates and facilitating contact between prospective students and academic professionals.

For more information, please contact the SFBA Alumni Chapter.

Foto: Philippe Sion and Loytavian Harrel with Bertrand Piccard in the middle, shortly before the launching of Solar Impulse’s flight.