MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: What our Students Say

Clarita Montant

17 January 2017

In this interview, Clarita Montant, a French-American and Salvadorian student enrolled in the Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law, tells us about the programme and life in Geneva.

Before studying at the Geneva Academy, Clarita Montant completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Houston.

Does the programme respond to your expectations?

I grew up in the French Alps, on the border with Geneva, so coming to study at the Geneva Academy meant coming back home and I could not be more excited about it!

The programme has been everything I expected and even more. The staff and professors are so interesting and knowledgeable individuals, but still very approachable. This is what stood out the most to me. Professors make themselves very accessible to us, whether it is for a question on the class or something more personal and specific about our career.

How is life in Geneva?

Generally, Geneva is not the most exciting city for students. However, when studying human rights, there is no better place. The amount of conferences you can attend and the connections you will make are incredible!

Apart from studying, there are a lot of things to do in Geneva, but it won’t come to you naturally. Geneva is one of those cities where you just have to dig a little and stay aware of events in order to know what’s going on. Also, don’t be scared to go outside the city. You are only 30 minutes from the French Alps, take advantage of that!

A great advantage of this programme is its affiliation with the Graduate Institute and the University of Geneva. As a student at the Geneva Academy you are also a student of both institutions, meaning you have access to all of their student activities; and they are endless! From sports to language classes, you will surely find something you are interested in.

Why did you choose to be photographed in the chocolate section of a Geneva store?

I chose to be photographed in the chocolate section of a store in Geneva for two reasons. First of all, who doesn’t love chocolate!? Second, chocolate is one of the specialities of Switzerland and you will find some delicious chocolate on every corner of Geneva. Pretty convenient for the long study sessions!