The Master in
Global Studies

of the University of Geneva is a two-year full-time programme which focuses on identifying, understanding, and solving global challenges. It aims to train a new generation of professionals to approach today's most pressing challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will notably learn to draw upon knowledge and evidence from different sources as well as collaborate across levels and sectors.

The present era of globalization has ushered in a complexification of international relations, thereby requiring alternative modalities for thinking about the world. Humanity has achieved an unprecedented state of development but, with a population of 8.1 billion and a fast-growing demand for natural resources coupled with environmental degradation, it is facing unparalleled sustainability challenges. The scale and magnitude of global challenges require broad transformations in the organization of societies, economies, and politics. These transformations cannot happen, however, without a concomitant transformation of our knowledge system. This means reducing knowledge gaps within the social sciences as well as between the natural sciences and social sciences to foster 'global system science'. In contrast to siloed disciplinary knowledges, a global system science is more suited for understanding the nature of interconnectivity today and its implications for humanity and the planet. Such a holistic approach is further enabled through the advancement of computing power technologies and big data.

In the Master of Global Studies (MAGS), students will gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary global challenges and how to respond to them, including through the innovation of governance designs. Examples of course topics covered include: 1) international relations, geopolitics, global and regional governance, and diplomacy; 2) interdisciplinarity, collaborative problem solving, and critical theory; 3) systems thinking, complexity science, and data science. The MAGS is highly flexible in terms of curriculum requirements, allowing students to follow their individual interests and chart their own educational path. The MAGS also provides students with opportunities to engage with the international environment in Geneva, notably through the 'Geneva Multilateral Clinic' offered in the fourth semester in close cooperation with International Geneva actors.