Penn Washington supports Perry World House student fellows’ learning from the practitioners of statecraft

A century ago, the world was about to plunge into a global depression that would empower fascist leaders bent on expansionist war that would leave more than 70 million people killed in nearly every region of the world.  That devastation is becoming a distant memory, in large part because of the work of national governments, non-governmental organizations, and the agencies of the United Nations. By creating expertise and funding, this 3-part global framework has advanced global health, enabled modern economies, limited arms races, and prevented the worst violence of armed conflicts and human suffering. We proved that humans are not helpless in making change for the better.

A cohort of 18 Perry World House undergraduate student fellows traveled to Geneva during their 2026 spring break to meet some of those heroes who have helped to create a global system that has enabled us to escape that cycle of human suffering.  PWH student fellows advance their interest in global affairs throughout the school year attending classes, workshops, and keynote addresses by visiting leaders on campus every week throughout their fellowships.  From March 6-14, they got a deep dive directly into the global community for what has become an annual capstone opportunity of the program: travel to a key location where diplomats, technical experts, and activists work to advance global security, economic growth, and well-being.

While the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council headquarters in New York is often the focus of headlines when international crises break out, Geneva is where the actual work to prevent, mitigate, and resolve those crises is rooted. To meet the people who do that work, the PWH fellows met with UN officials from multiple agencies and supporting organizations:  the International Organization for Migration, the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, the International Telecommunications Union, UNAIDS, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the World Trade Organization. The PWH fellows also met with leading non-governmental organizations that both support UN missions, and hold its members accountable through fact-based reporting: the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Center for Human Rights, and Geneva Calls which is an NGO led by a Penn Wharton alum that presses non-state armed groups to be bound by the international laws on armed conflict.   Finally, the students got direct insight into how member countries advance national priorities by working with UN agencies in meetings with the U.S. mission to the UN, and with the Swiss permanent mission to the UN.

The students learned how trade agreements are usually observed by agreement, but also how they can be enforced through adjudication if cooperation is broken.  They heard how UNAIDS and national financial support have changed HIV infection from a certain path to death into a manageable condition through drug therapies that allow people to live full lives and prevent the cycle of deadly transmission. They learned how NGOs help to prevent the worst threat that states pose to civilian populations by fearlessly reporting on violations of international humanitarian law, holding governments accountable within the UN system and through media and public reporting. 

But they also clearly saw the cracks in the system, and the weakening of what held this UN system together.  The system works only when powerful states want it to work and are willing to invest in its successes, because the UN does not have the authority or power to command cooperation or lawful behavior. The students were respectful of their hosts, but they also asked challenging and probing questions that often exposed the limitations of cooperation and consent.  Funding for humanitarian missions has been cut, and relief missions have had to be cut.  Funding for drug therapy has been cut, and people may again die of AIDS once the funding is cut. The Russian threat in Europe is leading some longtime adherents to the ban on the use of landmines to reconsider their policies, raising the prospect of field and towns seeded with weapons Europe has not seen for decades. The WTO is coping with a rising tide of tariffs and counter-tariffs that will likely undermine global trade and growth.  The ITU’s ability to facilitate common technical rules on artificial intelligence is being tested by competitive incentives. And Geneva – the home of so many peace negotiations – seems sidelined in the face of ongoing and new conflicts in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

That, however, is exactly the reason for Penn students to see both the achievements and the challenges firsthand.  The generations that created the UN and developed it over 8 decades were students themselves once, and they figured it out against all odds.  Among this cohort of Perry World House students fellows could be the global leaders who can make a renewed system work for their century ahead.

Reflections from Penn Students:

“Many of the institutions we visited are places where international norms and agreements are actively shaped, and hearing directly from practitioners made those processes feel far less abstract. What struck me most was how interconnected the issues are: security, development, trade, technology, and humanitarian work are all deeply linked… It made me realize how important these multilateral spaces still are, even in a time when international cooperation can feel fragile.” – Griffin Pitt, Urban Studies/Environmental Studies, Class of 2026

“From debating the ethics of Artificial Intelligence usage in national defense at the UN’s Palais des Nations to an enlightening conversation on the movement to ban landmines, the trip itinerary was dense with excellent speakers, fascinating discussions, and eye-opening experiences.”  – Evan Stubbs, Political Science and International Affairs, Class of 2027

“Several agencies alluded to slowdowns in donor funding, narrowing mandates, and, most scarily, the prospect that a turn towards private sector funding may leave UN agencies beholden to the desires/objectives of a few. While we could talk on and on about the morality of the current administration’s stance on international cooperation I believe the bigger criticism should be extended to other rich countries who have been tight-fisted in their support of critical UN agencies. Perhaps the realities of today will serve as a wake-up call for countries around the world to check themselves on certain dependencies on America. When America sneezes, the rest of the world should not catch a cold.”  – Florence Onyiuke, International Relations and Business, Class of 2026

“What stood out to me most was hearing directly from the people working inside these organizations at a moment when international cooperation feels both more necessary and more strained. Conversations with groups like UNAIDS were particularly interesting to me. Hearing how they are thinking about innovative financing mechanisms to sustain global health initiatives, truly emphasized how quickly the global health landscape can shift and how important international coordination remains…being in Geneva and hearing from these organizations firsthand made me appreciate the complexity of global governance and the importance of sustained cooperation in addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges.”  – Shivaek Venkateswaran, Biology and Health Policy, Class of 2027

“As an aspiring epidemiologist, I never fully understood the extent to which my field could make a difference in global affairs and global health. This trip showed me that epidemiology plays a substantial role in international policymaking and humanitarian work. Organizations such as UNAIDS, UNHCR, and the IFRC rely on epidemiological tools to understand the health of vulnerable populations and to respond to disease outbreaks and public health crises…this trip changed the way I see my academic path. I initially approached the global policy trip from a strictly epidemiological perspective and assumed that health work only intersected with certain specialized organizations. What this trip to Geneva showed me, however, is that epidemiology is deeply embedded in global affairs… informal economies, disarmament negotiations, capacity building, and science diplomacy. Before this experience, I sometimes felt uncertain about how my field fit into global policy conversations…My field may not always be labeled as international affairs, but it plays an important role within the broader systems that support global cooperation and human well-being.”  – Matt Calumpit, Biophysics and Neuroscience, Class of 2026

“I had a truly amazing, enriching experience visiting Geneva and its many international organizations. At a time when the liberal international order is incredibly fragile, much due to the decisions of our own government, it was inspiring to hear from UN and INGO staff who have dedicated their lives to multilateralism and continue championing a vision of a more cooperative, safe, and stable world.”  – Lily Davis, Political Science, Class of 2026