The Jean-Pictet Competition: Learning Beyond the Classroom

The Jean-Pictet Competition is an annual, immersive event focused on international humanitarian law, bringing together students and young professionals from around the world. Participants engage in realistic simulations and role-playing exercises, applying legal principles to complex scenarios that mirror challenges in armed conflict. This unique approach not only enhances legal understanding but also builds practical skills and fosters international collaboration, making it a dynamic learning experience in the field of international humanitarian law.

During the six months preceding the completion, the teams trained intensively with their coaches to deepen their understanding of various topics within international humanitarian law and related fields. ‘At times, the training was as challenging, if not more so, than the competition itself,’ said Maria Clara Carmona Monsalve who studied our Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law. ‘I am deeply grateful to our coach, Mina, for her dedication to preparing us for each scenario.’

Throughout each of the one-week events, our students went through various real-life simulations, in roles where they engaged with armed forces, ICRC legal advisers, members of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs or Department of Defence, and representatives of associations and communities.

‘The competition is nothing like a moot, it entails very practical negotiations and discussions using the law as a guide. It’s an interesting way to express the law without arguing or lecturing about it, it’s all about persuasion and managing intercultural dynamics,’ said Ayomide Johnson, who studied the LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

The Geneva Academy teams were made up of students from two of our master’s programmes. They found that the diversity of experience within the teams was invaluable, allowing them to play to each other’s strengths and personalities.

The members of the Francophone team all agreed that living an experience like this made them evolve individually and as team ‘we could not have imagined the profound impact it would have on us.’ The Anglophone team, who had the chance to discover Nepal, found that the people, the spirituality, and the atmosphere made the Pictet competition ‘truly electrifying’. Nevertheless, they also managed to go skydiving together, as a life-lesson to let go and overcome the constraints that one may set for oneself.

We are currently preparing for the 2025 edition of the competition, and we will continue to send Geneva Academy students to this renowned competition every year.

Dr. Clotilde Pergorier, Head of Education, concludes, ‘This year, we have a wonderful Anglophone team ready to thrive at the 2025 edition, embracing the competition's motto of taking the law out of the books. Participating year after year in the Jean-Pictet Competition is a great privilege for us at the Geneva Academy. It also reflects the ongoing dedication and excellence of our students and their coaches.’