There are some journeys that stay with young people long after they return home, and the I.I.M.U.N. Switzerland Study Tour was exactly that kind of experience. From the moment the delegation landed, the idea was simple: let students see the world through institutions that shape it, cultures that define it, and conversations that matter. The tour began in Zurich with a city tour learning about the rich history of Zurich and the day continued with an immersive visit to the Lindt Chocolate Factory, where they watched the entire chocolate-making process unfold before ending the tour with what quickly became everyone’s favourite moment unlimited chocolate tasting.
The academic core of the tour opened at the World Health Organization headquarters with a special opening ceremony where we hosted Mr. Chiril Gaburici, Former Prime Minister of Moldova; Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO; Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN; and Ms. Clare Walsh, Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN, who shared perspectives on leadership, governance and the future of multilateralism. The I.I.M.U.N. committee for the conference was the United Nations General Assembly, and the agenda Reforms of the United Nations made debates both relevant and challenging. For many, speaking on UN reform inside a UN specialised agency made the experience feel far more real than any simulation back home.
The following morning at CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, the delegation had a tour of the facility and also interacted with Dr. Archana Sharma, Senior Physicist and one of CERN’s leading Indian scientists.
On 24th October, which is the United Nations Day, the delegation entered the Palace of Nations and sat inside the iconic UN Assembly Hall, the room where world leaders have spent decades negotiating the priorities of the international system. It was a moment of quiet impact, the kind that makes young people realise the scale of the world, and the responsibility that comes with being part of it.
The final leg of the tour included workshops conducted by officials from international organisations at the WMO and UNHRC headquarters, a hands on session on negotiation skills and techniques, a workshop on understanding the Sustainable Development Goals, and an expert interaction on careers within the UN system. A Geneva city tour and a peaceful Lake Geneva cruise offered the perfect close to the week, giving everyone the space to unwind and reflect on everything they had absorbed.
What made this tour special wasn’t just the institutions or the itinerary, but the way young people responded to each moment with curiosity, confidence and a genuine interest in understanding how the world works. Switzerland proved that learning can be serious yet fun, formal yet exciting, and global yet deeply personal. And like all meaningful journeys, this one ended with a simple reminder: when young Indians are given real exposure, they don’t just observe the world, they begin to imagine their place in it.
