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

My name is Alexander and I come from Kyrgyzstan. I am a lawyer and am currently enrolled in the MTJ program at the Geneva Academy.

During my undergraduate studies, I took a genuine interest in the human rights field, which eventually determined my professional career and life path.

As a human rights advocate and lawyer, I have been pursuing the cause of human rights promotion over the last six years, coordinating human rights projects, initiatives and events to strengthen the rule of law and human rights situation globally and domestically. Notably, I worked at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia and was a fellow of the UN Minority Fellowship Programme in Geneva in 2018.

Apart from my studies and professional activities, I like watching movies and TV series. I also enjoy hiking and exploring new places as it helps me discover my inner self.

Over the years, promoting minority rights and transitional justice causes has become my vocation. Keeping this in mind, I could not think of any better place that would allow me to pursue these goals further by learning from eminent experts in the field, gaining hands-on experience on the workings of the UN human rights machinery, and of course, being exposed to challenging, yet exciting, academic environment. You can only get all of this at the Geneva Academy.

What I am particularly enjoying about the programme is that it exposes you to an unparalleled diversity of the student body that allows drawing from a wealth of experience of each student. Another remarkable thing is that the professors teaching at the Geneva Academy combine extensive theoretical knowledge with robust transitional justice practitioner work enabling a student to look at a particular issue through practical and theoretical lenses.

I would definitely recommend this programme to both aspirings and established transitional justice practitioners as it has a lot to offer to anyone interested in the field.

I am still debating what career path to take following graduation. But what I’d like to do first is to deepen my grasp of transitional justice processes by taking a job at a transitional justice-oriented organization. Then I’d like to apply both theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in my home country.

The old town is my favourite place in Geneva. I like strolling around it as there is always something new to discover about the city’s rich history. But I specifically chose to take the photo in front of ‘Palais de Justice’ (courthouse) – the place, whose name is a reminder of justice that has to be served within its walls.