Getting up at 3am to catch a plane to Geneva? No problem for 19 motivated students that joined us on our second HonEURs Trip to Geneva, Switzerland. The Gateway to the Alps, and home to renowned chocolate and watchmakers awaited!
The first day was all about getting to know the city and enjoying the Swiss way of life- we closed the day with a typical cheese fondue, while enjoying our view over the lake.
Thursday was all about the UN! The HonEURs Association group had the honor to be hosted in the Palais des Nations. After a first general presentation on the United Nations, we were shown around the building and explored different parts of the institutions. Our guide was able to give us some good insights! After a quick lunch, we made our way to the World Health Organization where we got interesting insights into the global fight for health. This presentation was not only interesting for our participating students from the Medicine and health department, but was discussed from all different viewpoints, including Communication, Economics and Business. After this session, we gathered again to go back to the Palais de Nations, were we received a presentation by a representative of the UN Conference of Trade and Development. In this last session, we learned a lot about how the UN Trade Facilitation Agreement came about, and its practical implications on global trade. The day was concluded by a nice social hangout in the evening.
The next day’s activities depended on personal interests. While some people chose to explore the city of Geneva a bit more, a group of students was brave enough to climb up La Saléve, a summit in France overlooking Geneva. And the view was definitely worth it!
“For this year’s second HonEURs study trip, we went to the beautiful Geneva to visit the United Nations. Walking around at the palaces of the United Nations was an amazing experience on its own but listening to various employees of the UN who were passionately telling what they do on a daily basis to contribute to a better world made the day very memorable. Spending the days with a nice group of people all with their own stories was really fun too, which was greatly enhanced by the Swiss activities that we did together, ranging from dining with cheese fondue to climbing a mountain together.”-Koen Polee, RSM Honors Program
It was a great trip with amazing people.
