Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations

Student Life

Following a rigorous and stimulating intellectual challenge in your study programme can be perfectly balanced by enjoying Geneva and its surrouding areas!

Geneva is located on the right bank of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) and is encircled by France. The city lies between the Alps and the Jura mountains, with the rivers Rhône and Arve passing right through it.

Geneva is also known as the city of peace and lies on the cross-roads of Western Europe. From this location one is only a few hours away flight from Paris, Milan, London, Rome and Madrid. The name of the city comes from Latin, Genua, and was mentioned for the first time by Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico, Ceasars work on the Gallic Wars.

The population of the city is approximately 180,000 while of the Canton 430,000. Geneva is also the city with the highest number of foreigners in Switzerland, with up to 40% of its inhabitants non-Swiss and coming from more than 180 nationalities.

Public Transportation

The Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations is located near the United Nations office and is in the heart of the international block of the city. Two bus lines (V, Z) conveniently lead you directly to the campus of GSD, situated at the stop named “Penthes” or “Pregny-Village”.

Geneva has a very complete and well structured network of public transportation. No matter what part of town you live in, you will have access to at least one line that will take you to the centre of the city. The transportation system in Geneva allows one to purchase tickets directly at the tram or bus stops on a daily basis. However, a more convenient option if one uses public transportation very often is to purchase a monthly or yearly “abonnement”. This is a subscription to the Transport Public Genevois (TPG) giving the passenger season tickets for his/her travels ranging from 45 to 70 swiss francs depending on the age of the passenger. These monthly subscriptions allow the passenger to access any part of the city of Geneva, along with its Canton. It also allows the use of second class trains travelling to such locations as the airport or nearby villages situated in the neighbour Canton of Vaud.

You can find out more about the lines, schedules, and directions to take on the website of the Geneva transport system, so as to check specific destinations or look up what lines have a connection near your place of residence.

Geneva's Cultural and Social Life

Geneva has a great historic and cultural background. The Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations is located in perhaps the most compact international block of the world with over two hundred organizations also based in this area. However, Geneva is not only known for its international community. It is a culturally rich city with a very exciting social life.

The city of Geneva organizes a vast array of events throughout the year that attract people of all ages. Students are encouraged to visit the city and to take advantage of the active nightlife. The official website of the city of Geneva can inform the students of any upcoming social event and about the most popular restaurants, bars, and other establishments worth visiting. The website also includes information about all the cultural sites of Geneva along with their location, opening hours, etc.

As a cosmopolitan and international city, Geneva offers many attractions to the English speaking community. Even without the knowledge of French, GSD students can still enjoy camaraderie and meet new people through this network of English speaking restaurants and bars. The AngloInfo website serves the English community of Geneva and can be consulted for just about anything. It contains all the valuable information about Geneva and its surroundings while adapting it for the English speaking community of Geneva.

Accommodation

Finding an accommodation as a student is not always easy. We do, however, try to assist our incoming students in the best possible way in finding external housing.
Please be aware that the current housing situation in Geneva is extremely difficult and we highly encourage every arriving student to take all the steps possible before his or her arrival. Students from the wider Europe should make the necessary arrangements to visit places on their own in Geneva before the start of their classes whilst priority in available offers is given to students from non-EU countries who are unable to travel to Switzerland before the start of the classes.

IMPORTANT: Please be aware that, unfortunately, some of the housing offers available on the Internet can turn out to be scams. Therefore, keep the following in mind:

* Never send money to a stranger using a money transfer service.
* Beware of deals or opportunities that seem too good to be true.
* Always ask for the full details of the person (including telephone number) and the full address of the offered accommodation.
* Always make sure you can visit the place and meet the owner in person before signing any contract. Do not sign contracts via e-mail.

Student residences (foyers) in Geneva

* Résidence Village-Suisse
* Home Saint-Pierre (Foyer for girls only)
* Centre Saint-Boniface
* Foyer St-Justin
* Régie Foncière Student Résidence
* L’Accueil Résidence Pour Jeunes Filles (Foyer for girls only)
* Foyer International Pour Jeunes Filles (Foyer for girls only)
* Foyer George Williams
* Résidence Le Voltaire
* Foyer Universitaire de Carouge

Websites with classifieds for accommodation

* * * * * * * * * * * (German & French only)
* (shared flats)