I studied two courses In Switzerland: one upper-level political science course called Home of Global Governance and one course on Swiss culture called Uniquely Swiss. These courses were both hands-on and experienced based in style, and I was impressed by how exciting it was to learn about both subjects as neither was entirely familiar to me. 

The UN

Home of Global Governance was taught by two professors who were both active experts in their field and had many ties to Switzerland and, more particularly, to the UN. The students in this class were lucky enough to take a specialized trip to Geneva to visit the UN and speak with people working on the logistics associated with the immigration crisis in Europe. We were also able to visit the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) museum. Both of these experiences were some of the most insightful and inspiring I have had in my educational career. 

View of Geneva

Uniquely Swiss was taught by one professor but involved a wide range of guest speakers who helped us understand Swiss culture in ways I would never have imagined could be possible in a single month. We learned about sustainability on Swiss farms, business and effective management on factory tours with translators and business professionals, culinary diversity in a number of restaurants and classes in which we were able to prepare our own Swiss dishes, and so much more. I was so amazed to get such an in-depth glimpse into the complexities and rarities of Swiss culture. 

The network I became a part of also opened up opportunities in Switzerland for graduate school and inspired a great interest in pursuing higher education in Europe. There is so much more I could say on the topic of my education in Switzerland. For all of those who are interested in studying abroad, my educational experience would not be nearly what it is now if I had not taken these courses. Specialized courses like these, I later found, are so unique that they may be tailored for only one year in one location for only a single group of students. It seems that would make it irrelevant, but it was just the opposite. The knowledge I gained in Lugano taught me to be a much more active student and to constantly be inspired to learn about the present and changing conditions of the world. 

An amazing mural inside the UN

Speaking, interactive holograms at the ICRC museum

ICRC museum - crafted from paper by a POW