Summer 2025: Switzerland: Social Impact Internship

Gain professional experience at a think tank, NGO, start-up, or private business in the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland.

At a Glance

Credits

Prerequisites

None

Courses taught in

English

Dates

May 29 – Jul 13

Program Countries

Switzerland

Program Base

Nyon/Geneva

Critical Global Issue of Study

Development & Inequality

Overview

Why intern in Switzerland?

With its vast network of Swiss and international NGOs as well as vibrant technology and finance sectors, the city of Geneva is a global player in humanitarian action, international relations, and human rights. You will complete a six-week internship with an organization working in the fields of sustainable development, impact investment, innovation and AI, fintech, public health, human rights, or environment and climate change as you explore concepts of global governance, social impact, and the ways technology can be leveraged for public good. During your time in the Geneva Lake Region, you’ll build a network of professionals and experts from leading international institutions, think tanks, and companies through site visits each week and will leave the program with new professional skills, insights, and inspiration.

Highlights

Expand your professional network through relationships with professionals, experts, and potential employers.
Develop professional skills and identify professional goals through the internship experience and interaction with professionals in the field.
Learn from experts at leading international institutions, think tanks, NGOs, and companies.
Analyze real-world challenges throughout the internship experience during classroom sessions and briefings at international institutions, NGOs, and companies.

Prerequisites

None.

Excursions

Geneva Lake Region and Independent Excursions

During the program you will visit international institutions such as the World Trade Organization, NGOs like World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), museums like the Red Cross Museum, and companies and start-ups in the field of social impact. In your free time during the weekend, you may travel on your own by train to visit cities in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland: French, German, and Italian. You will have the SwissPass which will allow you to travel by train, bus, and boat throughout Switzerland free of charge. You may see the stunning scenery for which Switzerland is famous: the Alps, multiple lakes, charming towns, and mountain villages. Sample famous Swiss delicacies such as fondue, raclette, and of course, chocolate.

Please note that SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, however, SIT may have to change or cancel programs.

Academics

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

Build professional networks with experts at international institutions, think tanks, NGOs, and the corporate sector through an internship and field visits.
Engage with professionals in the sphere of social impact.
Articulate the knowledge and skills developed through the internship experience in forging a future career.
Collaborate with mentors during the internship to achieve common goals and contribute to organizational success.
Explain the core concepts of social impact and sustainable business practices.

Read more about Program Learning Outcomes.

Coursework

The following syllabi are representative of this program. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.

The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.

Please expand the sections below to see detailed course information, including course codes, credits, overviews, and syllabus.

Key Topics

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Ethics and social responsibility
Circular economy and sustainability
Public-private partnerships
AI as a tool for social impact

Internship Practice & Seminar

Internship Practice & Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3006 / 6 credits)

This course and seminar is based on a framework of four pillars: internship placement and practice; site visits and briefings to international institutions, companies, NGOs, and start-up organizations; thematic lectures on social impact in global contexts; and discussion/reflection sessions on internship experience to enhance professional and personal growth. Upon their arrival in Switzerland, and following the orientation session in the first week of the program, students will visit partner institutions and meet internship mentors in the second week of the program. After briefings with internship institutions and interviews with internship mentors and the SIT Academic Director, students will identify the institution of their choice that has an opening and that may host them.

Students can undertake their internship in areas of social impact such as civil society initiatives, social entrepreneurship, innovation hubs, and think tanks leading to achievement of the UN SDGs-2030.

Potential Internship Sites Include:

Aegis Experiment / CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (scientific communication, international collaboration, marketing & finance)

Alimuradova Organisation (entrepreneurship, civil society, SDGs & SMEs)

Brightside (artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, finance)

eFrontiers (artificial intelligence, financial literacy, IT)

Fongit (innovation technology, impact investment, life sciences)

Global Health Booster (impact investment, information technology, public health & development)

Globethics (ethical leadership & decision-making, applied ethics in higher education, global network & international cooperation)

High Lantern Group (leadership & decision-making, global networking & strategic planning, public health & development)

Impact Hub (SDGs & SMEs, social entrepreneurship, international cooperation)

International Bridges to Justice (human rights & legal assistance, public-private partnership, global justice & international cooperation)

KYLYS  (biotechnology, innovation, public-private partnership)

Renaissance (fintech innovation, public-private partnership, sustainability & international cooperation)

SLM Impact Finance (finance, social responsibility, artificial intelligence)

Trust Village (artificial intelligence, digital trust innovation, cybersecurity)

Housing

Orientation Accommodations

You will stay in hostels during the orientation period.

Nyon

A homestay with a local family in the French-speaking canton of Vaud will enrich your cultural experience during the program. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, the canton of Vaud offers a combination of countryside, small towns, and outdoor activities. The historical town of Nyon, where the SIT program office is located, offers a magnificent view of the Jura mountains and French Alps just on the other side of the lake.

Living with your homestay family offers you the opportunity to gain insight into local everyday life on the Geneva Lake Riviera. You will commute to internship institutions, classes, and program activities in Nyon and Geneva, just like the locals, using the excellent Swiss public transportation system.