World Health Organisation in Geneva

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 03/02/25 at 9:00 am

Opportunity type: Academic-led trips

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

Ref: 10009242

Dates

Departure Date: 10/06/24

Return Date: 13/06/24

Costs

£450: the estimated cost for travel and accommodation (excluding any support). Students will also be required to pay for: UK and in-country transfers, visits, food and drink, visa (if applicable))

Funding

DMU Global Bursary: £200

Booking

Accommodation: Accommodation will be booked by DMU

Travel: Travel will be booked by DMU

Contact

General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

Trip Lead: Alexander Hammant - alex.hammant@dmu.ac.uk

How to pay

Payment details: Students will be required to pay £250 as a contribution towards the cost of travel, accommodation and transfers (if included) after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.

Carbon Levy

Student contribution: To offset the carbon emissions from the flight for this trip there is a £3 Carbon Levy for this trip which has been added to the total cost. Information about how this Levy will be used can be found here.

Trip Profile

Independence

Independence

Group travel

Independent travel

Trip price

Trip price

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Trip duration

Trip duration

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Eligibility

Students enrolled on the Masters in Global Health programme are eligible to participate on this opportunity. There is a maximum of 20 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

Geneva is where the global headquarters of the World Health Organisation (WHO) resides. Its international district represents the key role that Geneva plays on the world stage, bringing together more than 39 international organisations. It is a unique city which students will be able to explore over the course of the trip.

Students will go primarily so that they can visit the WHO headquarters and participate in masterclasses hosted by the WHO. The WHO is a world-renowned organisation and a specialised agency of the United Nations. It is responsible for international public health. It provides technical assistance to countries, set standards and collects data on important global health issues. It has historically played a leading role in many significant public health achievements to date, for example, the eradication of smallpox and the development of the Ebola vaccine.

Students who are passionate about global and public health should consider this unique opportunity to understand more about how this organisation works in reality. Students will be able to visit the headquarters and see their current work. They will be able to participate in masterclasses and ask questions to WHO representatives.


Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of skills and competencies that enhance your studies. The learning objectives participation in this trip to Geneva include:

  • Participate in WHO led masterclasses on important and relevant international public health topics
  • Experience the unique environment of Geneva with its own International Quarter.
  • Have direct contact with an international organisation and have the opportunity to ask questions of WHO representatives. This experience will be a fantastic talking point at future interviews.
  • Be inspired to participate on a global stage

Pre-trip, participants will be briefed in the form of a lecture, on WHO and how it operates on the global stage. The aim of this is to increase awareness of current and global issues and inspire curiosity. Students will be asked to consider the opportunities to network that this trip presents and to work on their CVs before they go so that they can maximise this opportunity. A CV workshop will be run in collaboration with the library to assist with this.


Why take part?

Students should participate in this trip if they are passionate about global and public health. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity to see how an international and world-renowned organisation goes about its work. Students will be able to use this experience as an example to talk about with future employers in job interviews. It may inspire them to pursue a role in international public health.


Cultural activities

The Quarter of Nations spans the Place des Nations, where students can visit the majestic Palais des Nations which are the European headquarters for the UN. On this square, there is also the 12-metre-high Broken Chair; a tribute to the victims of anti-personnel mines throughout the world and a message of peace. Students will visit the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum so that they can learn more about global humanitarian action.

Students will be able to experience Geneva and its famous sites, including the Old Town, which is the largest historic town in Switzerland and home to the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, a key site of the Reformation. There is the jet d’eau, now a famous fountain, previously a safety valve used by the town’s watchmakers. It is 140 metres high at its peak.

Students can also visit the Museum of the History of Science, the Natural History Museum or explore the bustling centre. In the English garden, the Flower Clock is one of the great symbols of the Geneva watchmaking tradition. Decorated with thousands of flowers, it tells the time with Swiss precision, and its 2.5-metre-long seconds hand is the largest in the world.

Visa Information

Due to various external factors and an unprecedented demand for international travel, there are significant delays in visa processing, as well as very limited availability of application appointment slots for some countries and embassies.

We recommend that you take all appropriate steps to secure a visa as soon as practically possible, and to notify DMU Global if you face any issues. It is your responsibility to meet the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. Failing to do so may mean that you’re liable for the costs incurred to the university (including repayment of the DMU Global bursary).