Internships at the Geneva Academy: Preparing Our Students for Their Future Careers

Students in the full-time LLM-MAS programmes at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights complete a certifying internship with one of our 90 partner organisations. From the ICRC and Amnesty International to the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, our students spend the spring semester doing substantive legal work alongside professionals working across a wide range of international law and policy issues and engaged in addressing some of today’s most pressing international challenges.

This year’s internship reports show what that experience looks like from the inside.

‘I believe that the internship is one of the most valuable parts of the Master’s Program. The Geneva Academy is able to use its large network to place students at leading NGOs and intergovernmental organisations. I recommend putting your best foot forward, the experiences are invaluable, and who knows where it could lead!’

Nathanael R. Thomas, internship at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

Our Internship sCheme

We have established partnerships with Geneva-based multilateral organisations, international organisations and NGOs, which offer internships to our students. Students can also take part in the Academy’s own research projects, such as IHL in Focus, currently supported by the IHL Lab.

‘The Geneva Academy’s rich network of partner organisations and its carefulness in the placement process made my internship with Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Program a truly hands-on learning experience. It allowed me to translate the knowledge gained into practical skills I would actually use in my future career in the field.’

Abera Abebe Zegeye, internship at Amnesty International – Crisis Response Program, Crisis Evidence Lab

‘This internship provided an excellent opportunity to understand how an international organization operates from the inside and to gain hands-on experience in topics I was genuinely interested in but had not been able to explore beyond the classroom.’

Amaru Susana Ríos Martínez, internship at International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Clearly Defined Objectives

Internships and research projects are always linked to a field covered in our full-time LLM–MAS programmes. They involve substantive tasks such as research, analysis and document drafting. Each intern’s contribution has clearly defined objectives, and every intern is supported by a dedicated supervisor.

‘My internship at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute gave me a practical view of how human rights advocacy and international law function within the UN system. Working on complex, fast-paced assignments helped me grow intellectually and professionally in ways no classroom could.’

Anaëlle Bossi, internship at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

‘Some experiences teach new skills; others reshape the way we understand our profession. This internship did both by allowing me to contribute meaningfully, learn from experts and witness the practical impact of international humanitarian law beyond the classroom. Most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to take part, in a direct and tangible way, in the ICRC’s indispensable role in the implementation of IHL.’

Fiker Shimelis Engida, internship at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Trusted with Real Responsibility

Our interns do not just observe. They work on live cases, real projects and genuine research questions, and many describe leaving with a clearer sense of the career they want.

‘My internship with the ICRC’s legal advisory was one of the most enlightening experiences offered through the Academy. […] I was trusted with meaningful responsibilities, challenged intellectually and guided by a supervisor who encouraged me to develop my own ideas. The experience taught me that international legal work is rarely glamorous, but is instead built through rigorous research, collaboration, and sometimes hours of discussion over a single word.’

Megah Bintang Mahadinah Irdan Putri, internship at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

‘As an intern at the Praxis HUB at the Global Survivors Fund, I was able to combine the knowledge obtained in the classroom with real-world situations and contexts, as well as learn so much about reparations and justice for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. […] The internship was certainly a highlight of my year in Geneva!’

Clara Silva Batista, internship at the Global Survivors Fund

‘My internship with Swisspeace’s Dealing with the Past Programme let me put my legal training to work on a real transitional-justice project, while sharing my own experience from Nepal. It was demanding, genuinely collaborative, and exactly the kind of bridge between law and practice I had hoped my time at the Geneva Academy would open up.’

Mona Sharma, internship at the Swisspeace (Dealing with the Past Programme)

‘Through the Geneva Academy Internship Programme, I moved from studying international human rights law to witnessing and supporting its advancement in a multilateral environment. The internship strengthened my professional and interpersonal skills, increased my confidence and gave me a clearer understanding of how young professionals can engage in impactful human rights work.’

Keti Tevzadze, internship at the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)

Spotlight: Supporting the First Geneva Global Gathering of IHL Professors

Few internships leave a mark like this one. At the ICRC’s Advisory Service, Ana Gomez Mendivelso helped organise the first-ever Geneva Global Gathering of IHL Professors.

Her supervisor, Etienne Kuster, Senior Adviser for Relations with Academic Circles at the ICRC, was clear about the impact: ‘I have supervised academic interns since 2013 […] This year, however, the contribution received from Ana Gomez Mendivelso […] to organize the first ever Geneva Global Gathering of IHL Professors surpassed every contribution we ever received.’

‘The Geneva Academy’s internship program gave me invaluable first-hand exposure to the ICRC and a deeper understanding of how its Advisory Service works with academic circles to promote the domestic implementation of IHL through the essential contributions of scholars and educators.’

Ana Gomez Mendivelso, internship at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

What Our Partner Organisations Say

The benefits run both ways. Supervisors regularly tell us that our interns arrive ready to contribute.

• ‘Offering us highly qualified experts, able to integrate quickly into our workstreams, we were very pleased with the collaboration.’ — Abdallah Abdelwahab, Policy Advisory Lead, Responsible Peace
• ‘The quality of the work and professionalism of the interns are outstanding.’ — Jelena Pia-Comella, independent expert member, UN CEDAW Committee
• ‘Every time I am more impressed about the commitment and professionalism of GA’s interns. They have been fundamental to my work.’ — Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
• ‘It is a great help to me to have support in researching disarmament issues and preparing for meetings.’ — Simon Cleobury, Head, Arms Control and Disarmament, Geneva Centre for Security Policy

Hours and Credits

Students undertake internships during the spring semester, from mid-February to early June, on Thursdays and Fridays. The internship is worth 6 ECTS credits, validated through successful completion and a detailed internship report.

Selection Process

Applications are managed through our internal system. Students apply to a number of partner organisations, which select interns according to their own criteria. For the current academic year, more than 100 internship positions were available. All students are guaranteed a certifying internship or certifying professionalising activity.

Study in Geneva

Based in Geneva, a global centre for human rights, humanitarian action, and international justice, our LLM-MAS programmes connect students with the institutions and practitioners shaping responses to today’s most pressing challenges. Explore our LLM–MAS in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and LLM–MAS in International Crimes, Justice, and Human Rights.

Our 2026-2027 Internship Partner Organisations

Asylex
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
Centre for Civil and Political Rights
Civitas Maxima
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEDAW
DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
Diakonia – IHL Unit
FIAN International
Geneva Call
Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Dialogue
Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions
Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Global Migration Centre
Global Survivors Fund
Human Rights Now
International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC
IHL Lab
International Bar Association – Human Rights Institute
International Bridges to Justice
International Center for Transitional Justice
International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association
International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
International Federation for Human Rights
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – IFRC Disaster General
International Law Commission
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (The Global Office of)
International Review of the Red Cross
Interpeace
Justice Rapid Response
MENA Rights Group
Plan International
Responsible Peace
Special Rapporteur for the Rights to freedom of assembly and of association (FoAA)
Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Swisspeace
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict