SIT Study Abroad: Switzerland: Global Health & Development Policy

The people I was surrounded by, from my cohort to my host family to the program administration, truly made my experience abroad special. Given how expensive Switzerland can be, the Swiss Travel Pass made it especially easy to immerse myself in the country’s culture and natural landscapes. The briefings at IGOs and NGOs were eye-opening, and the Independent Study Project allowed me to speak with experts in my field of interest. Overall, I would choose this experience again without hesitation and highly recommend it.

I appreciated the independent study aspect of the program, as I was able to explore my academic interests and speak with impressive professionals in public health! The classes brought in many impressive speakers, and the program allowed us to explore different NGOs in Geneva and Rabat. Switzerland was very expensive, but the program includes a travel pass that allowed us to explore the beautiful nature of the country. I also loved the French classes and homestay component, as they allowed me to improve my language skills immensely.

SIT Switerland was academically rigorous, immersive, and rewarding. The program blends classroom learning (guest speakers) with experiential learning, such as site visits to WHO and MSF, fieldwork in Morocco, and an independent research project that spans the entire month of April. The ISP was especially demanding and required strong time management, self-direction, and critical thinking as we conducted interviews and produced a 30-page research report. The classes were interdisciplinary and interesting. While Switzerland was experience and integrating into Swiss culture/norms took time, the program's location in Geneva (global hub for health/the world capital of humanitarian aid) made the experience uniquely place-based offering access to international organizations that shape international health policy.

There were many aspects of the program that I loved. Morocco was such a great experience and really cool that it was covered by SIT and that we were able to all go as a group. We had classes where we learned about the medical system in Morocco and were able to talk to traditional midwives and healers which was very interesting to me. We would also go on excursions and one of them was this hike up this massive sand dune which was amazing; I felt like I was on a different planet! We also learned about their culture through a homestay.

The program is really comprehensive and I learned so much regarding global health from experts in the field. We had guest lecturers from the International Red Cross, the United Nations, governmental organizations, and NGOs all working in the health sector. The academics were so interesting and we had two projects where you picked what you were interested in and conducted research based on that which was really cool that we could research almost anything we wanted. Some lectures inspired me so much to the point of helping me figure out what direction I want to go in for my future!

This program is focused on academics I would say which I enjoyed but was challenging at some points because class started at 9 and would go sometimes until 5. We would have 3-hour lectures from 9-12 then a lunch break from 12-2 then either a French class or a field trip from 2-5. For me, my homestay was an hour bus ride away so my days were pretty busy. That was the most challenging adjustment for me because I did not have a lot of free time during the week or time to exercise. But, some of my friends lived closer to classes so they were able to have more free time, it just depends on where you get placed for your homestay. And, eventually, I decided to romanticize it because my bus ride included beautiful views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps!!

I have friends that went abroad to a university and they barely did any school work and just traveled and did whatever they wanted which they loved and sometimes I was jealous of that but I am really happy that I decided to do this program in the end because the staff was amazing, the people in my group were so kind and because it was a small group we got really close, traveling from Switzerland was easy because it’s in the center of Europe, I got to ski and hike in the alps!!!, I have contacts that I can reach out to that are experts and leaders in world-renowned organizations in the health field, and Switzerland is so beautiful! I would say if you’re looking for a semester with more free time maybe looking at university instead of SIT, but if you’re looking to immerse yourself through making connections with a Swiss homestay family and studying global health and development policy then I would say this program will do that.

This experience was honestly everything I would have wanted my study abroad experience to look like.
Even though it was not extremely academically challenging, I learned so much that I would not have been able to learn in the typical classroom setting. I am a Public health major at my home university and this experience really broadened my understanding of what a career in the Global Health field looks like. We attended briefings at various International organizations such as the WHO and the UN and we had the opportunity to hear from professionals working in the field which was very awesome. This also gave me the opportunity to develop my professional communication skills.

Apart from academics, I also had the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries. The train system in Switzerland is very efficient and easy to use, so I was able to really explore Switzerland as well.

The program offered everything I was looking for personally and professionally. It gave me an introduction to global health. It increased my awareness and knowledge of human rights. It propelled me to tackle a new language that I love and will continue to learn. It empowered me by putting me in places I only dreamed of, but now I know that I can one day go back to as a professional.

It was extremely worthwhile. I was able to expand my global lens and really learn what it means to be a citizen of the world! I gained a new perspective on the issues that our world is currently facing, and how I can utilize my education and skills to tackle these problems. I stepped out of my comfort zone and was able to become more confident in my abilities and discover new things about myself. The small and big experiences I had each taught me something either about myself, others or some aspect of the world we live in. I gained a greater appreciation for nature and other things. Lastly this experience and the individuals I met influenced the life I want to live as I move forward!

This program exposed me to humanitarian aid and global health and what people can do to get involved. The different briefings at different organizations exposed me to an array of different career options. Morocco was also a very special experience. There was much more cultural interaction and exposure in Morocco. The academics in this program is not rigorous which I recommend taking advantage of by traveling. Explore the surrounding countries and explore Switzerland (use the Swiss Pass! You can even go to parts of France and Italy with it). Not the right program if you really want to improve French. The right program if you want to learn more about global health.