SDG Summer School: Planetary Health
Registration for summer 2025 opens in January 2025.
WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?
Bachelor and Master's students interested in sustainable development and global health issues related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The theme of the 2024 edition of the SDG Summer School is “Planetary Health” with a focus on the impact of climate change on human health. The school lasts four weeks, from Monday 1 to Friday 26 July. The format is hybrid, with teams working locally in the SDG Solution Space, an innovation space for students in the heart of International Geneva, while collaborating online with other SDG Summer Schools that are part of a global SDG Olympiad.
The 4-week program of the SDG Summer School focuses on team-based problem-solving. The agile development of practical prototypes, including weekly pitching sessions to a diverse jury, is inspired by concrete challenges formulated by experts from the International Organizations in Geneva.
Examples of projects from the 2023 edition include:
- Smartphone-based self-monitoring to help tuberculosis patients ensure that they take their medication regularly. (challenge mentored by the Global Fund for the Fight Against AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis).
- Using Machine Learning to adapt physical education curricula in African schools to available resources, teacher competencies and student interests and abilities (challenge mentored by UNESCO and supported by the International Olympic Committee)
COURSE CREDITS
Students will be provided with a Certificate of Completion from the Geneva Summer Schools at University of Geneva, stating the course is worth 6 ECTS. It is the student’s responsibility to validate this course for credit at their home university prior to the summer school.
HOW TO APPLY
Prepare a public link (eg. GoogleDrive, Dropbox, etc.) with your Motivation Letter and CV in one PDF document. Applicants should provide a certificate of registration confirming they are currently studying at their home institution.
Application deadline - 30 April 2024
For all inquiries about the 2024 SDG Summer School: gss@unige.ch
External students & junior professionales: CHF 2,100
UNIGE students: CHF 400
Scholarships
US & CAN students
2 travel grants with an amount of CHF 1000 CHF + 20 CHF * 25 days each for students who are enrolled at a US or Canadian University. Before applying, please thoroughly read the eligibility criteria on the official ThinkSwiss website.
4EU+ members only.
4 Full scholarships covering course fees, accommodation, meals, and transportation.
*Charles University in Prague, Heidelberg University, Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, Sorbonne University in Paris, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Geneva, the University of Milan, and the University of Warsaw
University of Zurich
3 stipends are available for UZH bachelor or master students covering tuition fees, travel costs, and accommodation in Geneva.
2 stipends are available for UZH Ph.D. students to coach student teams (contact: info@citizenscience.ch)
Course Directors
Director of the SDG Solution Space
Course Management
IHDS Master Program
University of Geneva
Course Administration
Giulia Brocco
Project Manager
University of Geneva
Tanvir Ayub Rafi, University of Copenhagen, M.Sc student in Agricultural Economics, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2024
Participating in the SDG Summer School in Geneva was a professional experience that significantly broadened my level of thinking. Over the course of a month, I had the privilege of working alongside a diverse group of individuals from around the world, all united by a shared commitment to addressing global challenges. Our project, focused on developing a prototype to help teenagers understand complex climate prediction models, was a perfect mixture of my passion for climate action and education. Under the mentorship of Dr. David Wallom from the University of Oxford, we were able to bring our vision to life, and I was thrilled when our project won “First Place”, earning us an opportunity to present it in Paris this September 2024.
The collaborative environment in Geneva, with its culture of international organizations, was incredibly inspiring. Working in intercultural teams not only enhanced my teamwork and communication skills but also provided a unique opportunity to connect with UN officials and other experts in the field. The experience reinforced my commitment to sustainable development and structured me with the tools and confidence to pursue my future goals. I’m deeply grateful to the organizers and the 4EU+ Alliance for this incredible opportunity, which I believe will have a lasting impact on my career and personal growth.
Ngoc-Hung Hoang, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2024
The SDG Summer School was a very enriching experience. Not only did we get to learn about Sustainable Development and the work of international and non-governmental organizations, but we also had hands-on experience in working on our own project to contribute to a real world challenge. Our team worked on a support system to improve the sharing of health data among different countries, specifically to expand the use of existing data sharing networks and to make it easier for countries to join such networks in terms of targeted goals and milestones.
Another important agenda item was the Brown Bag Lunches, which were presentations and discussions about the work of various international and non-governmental organizations given by people who have been working with them. It was very interesting to hear about their work, careers and stories, and also to get some inspiration and career advice from people who have devoted their work to this area.
Hana Kroupová, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2024
The SDG Summer School in Geneva was an incredible opportunity to actively engage with real-world problems and explore innovative solutions. The setting in Geneva, with its concentration of international organizations and the people who represent them, provided a great environment for learning and meaningful connection.
Working on group projects in intercultural teams was also a truly rewarding experience. It gave me the opportunity to enhance my teamwork skills, refine my time management while preparing presentations, and sharpen my pitching abilities as we shared our ideas with stakeholders. I am excited to use all the knowledge gained through our team research and preparation in my future studies and career and would like to once again thank the organizers of the Summer school for all the work they put in to create this space for participants to connect and learn from each other.
Nida Murad, Heidelberg University, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2024
I was back at it in my all-time favorite city, Geneva, for an epic Summer School adventure!
I spent an amazing month with a fantastic group of people from all over the world, solving real-world problems with incredible mentors.
Our team developed a cutting edge LLM RAG data retrieval platform from several reports, designed to help local actors implement well informed nature based solutions in Sub Saharan Africa. Huge thanks to the organizers of the summer school, especially
Francois Grey, Jemy Jacob, Sophie Schegg, İuri Carvalho, and Ivonne Arica Ruiz , and a big thank you to the 4EU+ Alliance for the scholarship. This truly was one of the best summers I ever had—from taking dips in the lake to meeting UN officials, it had it all!
Valarie Wasna, Kenya, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2023
My experience during the SDG Summer School in one word would be "fantabulous!", but that may not be enough to explain how enriching, eye-opening, inspiring, and fun-filled the SDG Summer School was. I got to interact with fellows from all corners of the globe, and it exposed me to multicultural and multilingual experiences which made the experience worthwhile. I also enjoyed the Brown Bag Lunch concept, where I gained a lot of insights from the expert speakers who shared more about Innovation, Problem Solving, and Creativity. I made lifelong friends and mentors and even got a Volunteer opportunity from the connections I made during the SDG Summer School. It was indeed a life-transforming opportunity that opened my eyes to another way of living, tackling global challenges, and interacting with diverse people.
Furkan Usta, Turkey, Participant in the SDG Summer School 2023
The SDG Summer School brings together numerous expert instructors in the field, offering an insightful perspective on open-source solutions and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the tours organized during the program, we had the opportunity to witness their action and commitment. This platform brings together international students from diverse backgrounds, fostering collaborative problem-solving for the challenges presented. In addition to its strong technical structure, I must emphasize that I have also gained valuable social experiences. I have formed many wonderful friendships during this course. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in organizing the course for their efforts.
Gokul Rajendran, Kerala University of Health Sciences
“Completely out of my world!! Because it showed me what I have not seen before! I learned about entrepreneurship, Gained confidence to pitch & to speak, Gained friendships around the world. The List goes on....! It also showed me what was near me! They connected me to Organisations near me to help my idea turn into a reality. I Still Remember the Virtual Trip we took to GENEVA to the UN Headquarters, The CERN Lab & WMO etc.. Leadership & Team work! which was the most important thing I would like to say! My team was of 4 People living in 4 Parts of the world (Indonesia, Mexico, India & Paris), still we developed our prototype & pitched as one the best. The Mentors they provided were Highly Experienced People from WHO, CERN etc loved them all. The Experience was once absolutely amazing! I would say! go for it! I'm the Guarantee that you will love this!!”
Valentina Rossi, University of Geneva
“This one-month opportunity allowed me to speak up, learn how to pitch a project idea and engage with different stakeholders from the International Geneva and beyond, all this in a stimulating learning environment! During the SDG Summer School in 2019, I developed a prototype of an application with fellow students from different academic backgrounds and continents. Working with them has been a unique experience that made me understand the importance of learning by doing first hand.”
Qike Huang, Erasmus University Rotterdam
" The SDG geneva summer school was definitely one of the highlights in my 2021. It was such an unforgettable and amazing experience in the one-month stay in Geneva. Even though due to the COVID, our summer school was held in a hybrid form, it also gave us such a great opportunity to connect with talented people from Singapore, Paris, Seoul, and Chile. Moreover, mentors from WHO, UN, and other international organizations gave us great insights on SDGs, especially on how open-source health solutions can solve various health challenges. This program would definitely enrich your summer and I highly recommend it!"
Xiaoyan Xing, Tsinghua University
“Participating in the GTI SDG summer school was one of the best decisions I have ever made. GTI is an amazing place where I collaborated with participants across the world and experienced mentors from different institutions and organizations. Those experiences extremely opened my mind and enriched my knowledge as well as communication skills. I believe through the four weeks of intense yet productive work you will learn how to achieve a SDG solution from scratch, how to work with people who have diverse cultural backgrounds and personalities, and so on. 100% recommend it!”