For this season finale, we tackled issues revolving around the field of humanitarian action. We welcomed Professor Karl Blanchet and Dr Valérie Gorin from the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute. Professor Karl Blanchet is the Director of the Centre and a Professor in Humanitarian Public Health at the University of Geneva. Before joining UNIGE, Prof. Blanchet worked in health systems research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was the co-founder and co-director of the Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre. Professor Blanchet is also the Academic Director of InZone, a University of Geneva project offering university courses for refugee populations. In early 2021, Prof. Blanchet was nominated to represent the University of Geneva in the Steering Committee of the Geneva Hub for Education in Emergencies, a new initiative by the Swiss Government. Dr Valérie Gorin is the Centre's Head of Learning and a Senior researcher at the University of Lausanne. Her research focuses on the visual culture of humanitarianism, the history of communication and humanitarian action and the evolution and uses of photojournalism in modern times. Dr Gorin holds a PhD in communication and media sciences from the University of Geneva. 

The Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies recently changed its strategy and outlook in terms of continuing education. We asked Karl Blanchet about his vision for the Centre and Valérie Gorin about what this means in terms of learning design for the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action. We talked about the tragic endgame in Afghanistan, ongoing refugee crises, and the impact of COVID on humanitarian aid and programs. We also had a very open conversation about the critiques of the field of humanitarian intervention and how training and continuing education may contribute to improve some of the sector’s shortcomings. It was a pleasure to speak with our two guests and fascinating to hear about everything the Geneva Centre of humanitarian studies has to offer in terms of expertise. It was also inspiring to see how seriously its leaders take the importance to plan and accommodate for various learning goals, paths and journeys.

References: A Perfect Day (film, 2015); 50 Shades of Aid (online community); Alpha Zulu (podcast); D. Mosse (ed.) Adventures in Aidland (Berghahn books, 2011); M. Barnett, Empire of Humanity: a History of Humanitarianism (Cornell University Press, 2011); A Corps, a Cœur et à Cris (documentary, 1991); D. Rieff, A Bed for the Night (Random House, 2002).