In May 2022, the Global Governance Centre hosted a student-led simulation that brought experienced practitioners from international organizations (IOs) to partake in a role-play exercise. An example of how simulations can be effective instruments of learning and collaboration, this project was facilitated by Dr. Lucile Maertens, Zoé Cheli, and Baptiste Antoniazza from the University of Lausanne’s (UNIL) Institute of Political Studies. Embodying a participatory methodology, the exercise was designed by a group of UNIL students enrolled in the Political Science Master’s programme. As summarized in this article by Maëlle André and Pauline Jonin, the simulation sought to foster understanding between the humanitarian and development fields of International Geneva whilst giving students a chance to observe global governance in the making.

The humanitarian-development nexus

International organizations are made up of different professional fields, each with their own specific practices and modes of action. Within the world of IOs, it is common to distinguish between practitioners working on short-term objectives, such as those associated with humanitarian emergencies, and practitioners dedicated to longer-term objectives, as is the case with environmental sustainability or development projects. Despite this seemingly clear cut division of labor and temporalities, in practice, there are instances in which activities may overlap. As a result, professional groups within IOs may be brought to collaborate, even when they do not share the same priorities, methods and capacities.

 In a context where the multiplication of international crises is increasingly demanding for these organizations, how can we foster a shared understanding between these different actors and facilitate inter-organizational cooperation?

Switching roles for a simulation

Students enrolled in the in the Governing Globalization course at UNIL developed the simulation for professionals working in International Geneva. It was inspired by the Catalyse simulations initiative, which uses simulations to promote collaboration between politicians and scientists. Led by their professor, Dr. Lucile Maertens, students worked together throughout the 2022 spring semester to set up this role-play exercise, which took place at the Geneva Graduate Institute thanks to the support of the Global Governance Centre (GGC). During the two-hour simulation, participants were first presented with an onset emergency scenario situated in Haiti. Emergency humanitarian practitioners and development aid professionals were then invited to switch roles in order to explore the realities of their counterparts.

An instructional experiment for everyone

Overall, the simulation proved to be a beneficial exercise for all of the parties involved. In addition to the creation of the scenario and the necessary material, students had the chance to be involved in its execution, acting as moderators, observers, journalists, and so forth. This pedagogical experience helped students gain a nuanced understanding of the way global governance works in practice. For some, it also acted as a concrete professional experience, as summarized in student participant interviews collected by Carine Conti. As explained by Dr. Cristina Teleki, a GGC Research Associate and Field Delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross, in this podcast by Carine Conti, it also proved to be an eye-opening experience for the practitioner participants. Finally, the teaching team was equally satisfied with the substantial educational insights they gained, as stated by teacher Lucile Maertens in this article written by Audrey Adehossi.

The successful first application of this role-play experience foreshadows its potential for various settings and themes.