As part of the Global Health masters programme at the University of Glasgow, my coursemates and I went on a field trip to Geneva, Switzerland to visit and interact with some of the major organisations within the global health field. We had planned and prepared for this trip for a long time and little did I know that I was about to have one of the best weeks of my life away from home. 

Most of us, like myself, left Glasgow between 9:00am and 11:00am on Monday 2 June. I arrived in Geneva around 1:00pm and was able to meet up with some of my coursemates at the airport to make our way to our pre-booked accommodation. The weather in Geneva at the time we arrived was sunny and really pretty, but just a few minutes after we reached our hotel it began to rain. 

Geneva, I would say, is a very beautiful and stylish place. The city has a very cultural look with lots of old and aesthetically pleasing buildings. The people are also very friendly and really stylish in their looks, I have never seen so many people dress so well and so beautifully all at the same time. I think that is because Geneva attracts people from all parts of the world because of the presence of international organisations, banks and intercontinental institutions that are centered here. The main language spoken in French and I found it interesting that people were more ready to speak French to me than English. I only know very little French so I was able to respond in that capacity. On the night of our arrival, we did some walking and visited places around our hotel just to get a feel of this new beautiful city.

Fast forward to Tusday, our first meeting session was at the WHO headquarters where we discussed extensively on some of the current focus areas of the WHO including the pandedmic agreement. In between our morning sessions and afternoon sessions we would usually walk to the nearest restaurant or grocery shop to buy lunch and eat together. This was the same pattern for the next four days in Geneva except on Thursday 5 June where we only had a morning session. 

On other days, after our official meetings, we would go to the beach to have a swim. I personally did not swim because I do not know how but my coursemates had lots of fun swimming. After the beach time, we would around the city or find a nice lakeside bar where we can hang out and bond with each other. On Friday in particular, after our single session, we decided to visit the Red Cross Museum. It was a very insightful visit as I got to learn so much about the world wars and gathered quite a handful of knowledge on the working principles of the Red Cross as an international organisation.

Geneva, for me, was a place of learning and bonding. While my coursemates and I have been somewhat close, Geneva gave us an opportunity to really bond with each other beyond knowing ourselves in the classroom. We got to live with each other, eat, drink and talk with each other outside of the confines of university topics. As someone who also loves to travel, learn and explore other cities and places, I enjoyed Geneva because of how completely different it is from the UK in terms of style and outlook. It also a very culturally integrated city and embodies all the elements that makes it very welcoming for people from all across different continents of the world. 

One thing I also enjoyed was taking boat rides across Lake Geneva which is the largest body of water in Switzerland and site for the Jet d'Eau de Genève which is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Switzerland. I would say that going to Geneva, I did not have many expectations but I left Geneva impressed and excited to return again sometime soon. This is majorly because I recognise the city as a place where lots of global decisions are made and also a city that is very welcoming, quiet and easy to thrive in. I hope to be back very soon and I will.

First published: 11 June 2025

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