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Introduction to Human Aspects of Complex Emergencies

Location: Geneva Switzerland
Dates: June 30 – July 11th
3 Credit Hours
Open to Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Professors
Manuel Carballo, PhD
Dauphine Sloan, PhD

Course Description

This course, administered in partnership with the International Center for Migration and Health (ICMH), will focus primarily on disaster relief and reconstruction. Individual lessons address a variety of subtopics such as rapid assessment, psycho-social health, reproductive health, monitoring and evaluation, relief organizations, communicable diseases, and management of IDP and refugee situations. Class will be broken up into morning (9am to 12pm) lectures and afternoon (2pm-5pm) guest lecturers and fieldtrips to places such as the UN, the Red Cross, UNOCHA, UNHCR, the WHO, the ICMH, etc. The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students and is worth three credit hours.

About Geneva

Geneva is the home of the European headquarters for the United Nations (UN) and a number of its sister organizations and other inter-governmental organizations, including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) among others. Geneva is also a beautiful city to explore in your free time. A city bus will take you the 5km to Mount Saleve in France where you can ride a cable car to the peak (1380 meters). Cafes, parks, street markets, cruises and other sights and activities line Geneva’s lakefront. During the summer the weather is beautiful during the day and many Genevois will go for a bike-ride or go relax in an area of the lake designated for swimmers and sunbathers. Old Town, a short walk from where you are staying has cafes, restaurants, and boutiques lining its cobblestoned streets and alleys. Geneva is also home to more than thirty museums and galleries, with free admission offered the first Sunday of every month at most public museums. On weekends, you may decide to bicycle through the vineyards just outside of Geneva to go wine-tasting (many are free on Saturday mornings), travel by train to Montreux to see the impressive Chateau de Chillon, relax in Evian, or travel beyond Lake Geneve. There are also a number of music festivals in and around Geneva during the summertime for those who are interested. Students will be able to travel easily around Geneva, which , like many other European cities, has a much evolved public transportation system. The Transports Public Genevois provides frequent bus, tram, ‘mouette’ (boat) and suburban train service to within a block or two of most location in the city and canton. Trains and boats are also reliable for travelling beyond the city limits and schedules for these are available online and at the train station.

Housing

Students will stay at Le Cite Universitaire in Geneva, located close to the conference center at Le Cenacle (about 10 minutes walking or 2 minutes by bus). Students will be in either double-rooms or triples. Each room has its own bathroom. Wireless internet is available at le Cite but is very expensive. There are a number of computers in the common area that may be used for a very reasonable fee (about 20 Swiss Francs for 10 hours). Some rooms have mini-kitchenettes. Food may be purchased at the café/restaurant or mini-grocery located on the first floor of le Cite Universitaire.

Classroom

The course will be administered at Le Cenacle, situated in the Malagnou neighborhood of Geneva above the Eaux Vives and close to Le Cite Universitaire. Students choosing to bring their laptops will have access to free wireless at Le Cenacle. Lunch will be served here on weekdays.

Cost

Housing costs, field trips, and daily lunch (Mon-Fri) will be included in the course fee. The course fee is in addition to tuition. Students will have to provide for all other meals, their transportation to Geneva and any extra expenses they might incur. The airport in Geneva is served by almost all European carriers and by two daily trans-Atlantic flights (one from New York, JFK on Swiss and one from Newark on Continental.) Students will be able to travel easily around the city on public transportation. You may buy individual tickets for each bus ride or buy a public transportation pass at the main train station (approximately 40 CHF for participants under 25).