Etown students and faculty at the “Broken Chair” – a monumental sculpture across the street from the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
A group of 10 Elizabethtown College students spent nine days in Germany and Switzerland this past May, attending meetings of various international organizations as part of the School of Business’s Geneva Program.
“The Geneva Program gives Etown students the opportunity to get a taste of life in Europe, to visit international organizations, to hear from ambassadors of countries, and to make friends with fellow students from Germany,” Elizabethtown College Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Sanjay Paul said.
The program and study tour is part of Paul’s International Organizations Seminar, open to all majors and classes. The course aims to foster students’ understanding of global issues and foreign affairs.
“Getting to learn more about the global organizations that play a vital role in international affairs, but also being able to go abroad and actually get to meet with members of these organizations is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Business Administration major Curstin Carpenter ’25 said.
Students began their trip in Geneva, Switzerland, meeting with a group of peers from the Konstanz University of Applied Sciences in Germany and taking a walking tour of the city.
The group then traveled to the UN Missions of India and the United States and were afforded the opportunity to sit in on briefings. During their time in Geneva, they also attended briefings at the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Council of Churches, and the International Organization for Migration.
After attending the Geneva briefings, the group traveled to Konstanz University of Applied Sciences in Germany and gave research presentations. The German students hosted the Blue Jays during the final part of the study tour, continuing an international collaboration between the two schools that last saw the German students visit Etown’s campus in the fall of 2023.
“This experience was influential and informative to my general knowledge about international affairs,” Carpenter said. “I hope to be able to build upon the connections I made through this experience and allow my new communication skills to help me in my remaining time at Etown, as well as in my career.”
