The Graduate Institute’s Advancing Development Goals Contest, established in 2014 with the support of Ambassador Jenö Staehelin, aims to foster critical thinking and innovation on global development challenges through a competition open to Master’s students worldwide. The contest encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among teams of three to five students to propose theoretically sound solutions to pressing international development issues. With a total prize pool of 25,000 CHF, the winning project will receive 10,000 CHF, while the runners-up and third-place teams will be awarded 5,000 CHF and 2,500 CHF each respectively.
To participate in the GIG Geneva Challenge, students must be enrolled in a graduate program and form teams with diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Projects, limited to 8000 words and written in English or French, should combine theoretical analyses, creativity, and critical thinking on development issues. Submissions will be reviewed by an academic steering committee and an expert jury, with three finalists per category selected for publication and the opportunity to present their ideas in Geneva. The application deadline for the upcoming cycle is April 22, 2024, with detailed instructions available on the Graduate Institute of Geneva’s website for interested candidates.
