Geneva Graduate Institute

What Geneva Graduate Institute does

The Geneva Graduate Institute (legally, Geneva Graduate Institute; operating also as IHEID and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies) is a private, non-profit higher education and research institution founded in 1927 in Geneva, Switzerland. It offers an interdisciplinary master programme, five disciplinary master and PhD programmes (Anthropology & Sociology, International Economics, International History & Politics, International Law, International Relations & Political Science), a summer school, exchange programmes, a partner programme, an undergraduate semester programme, and executive education for professionals. The Institute operates 13 specialized research centres — including the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy, the Global Health Centre, the Centre for Finance and Development, the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability, the Centre on Conflict Development and Peacebuilding, and NORRAG — alongside 12+ interdisciplinary research clusters covering sustainability, global health, migration, trade, and human rights. Research is supported by the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library, the Swisscovery IHEID catalogue, the Digital Collections platform (launched October 2015), the Oral History Archive, and Open Access publishing services integrated with the Zenodo institutional repository.

The Institute's revenue model combines tuition and academic programme fees (master, PhD, executive education, summer school, exchange), research grants from bodies such as the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and alumni donations and fundraising from a community of over 25,000 alumni working in 100+ countries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-student through the admissions office for academic programmes, direct-to-professionals for executive education, and globally online through digital library services, research publications, and podcast/media channels. The Institute's go-to-market relies on academic admissions rather than enterprise sales. It is a member of the AI for the Global Majority (AI4GM) joint effort with Microsoft and the International Telecommunication Union, presenting at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva in July 2026, and is positioning around its 2027 centennial.

Name

Geneva Graduate Institute

Legal name

Geneva Graduate Institute

Website

https://graduateinstitute.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Geneva Graduate Institute is a private non-profit graduate school and research institution founded in 1927 in Geneva, offering master's, PhD, and executive programmes in international affairs, development, law, economics, and political science, supported by 13 research centres and a 25,000+ alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Education and Research Services in International Affairs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint) (EDAHABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dual/Joint Degree Programs (International) (EDAIABAD), Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Graduate education programmes
• International affairs studies
• Development studies research
• Executive education programmes
• Doctoral programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Programmes: Revenue generated from master and PhD programmes, summer school, exchange programmes, partner programmes, and executive education
2. Research Grants and Funding: Funding from organizations such as Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) supporting open-access publication and research activities
3. Alumni Donations and Fundraising: Engaging the future fundraising initiatives and alumni community support

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Geneva Graduate Institute is a higher education institution that delivers graduate and doctoral academic programmes in international affairs, development studies, anthropology and sociology, international economics, international history and politics, international law, and international relations and political science. It also runs summer schools, exchange programmes, executive education for professionals, and supports research through thirteen specialized research centres, the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library, digital historical collections, and open access publishing services.

Product overview

The Geneva Graduate Institute operates as a higher education and research institution offering a portfolio of academic programmes (Master's, PhD, Summer School, Exchange programmes), research services (thirteen research centres, research clusters, research data management), library services (the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library with Swisscovery catalogue, Digital Collections, Oral History Archive), open access publishing support, executive education, and communication services (podcast series, student publications). The Institute's offerings are organized around its core academic mission in international affairs and development studies, supported by infrastructure for research data management, digital archives, and scholarly communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master's and PhD Programmes Interdisciplinary and disciplinary graduate-level academic programmes in international affairs, development studies, anthropology and sociology, international economics, international history and politics, international law, and international relations and political science, delivered to prospective graduate and doctoral students.
• Summer School International academic programmes offered during summer sessions for undergraduate and graduate students seeking short-term Geneva-based study.
• Exchange Programmes Student exchange opportunities with partner institutions worldwide enabling inbound and outbound academic mobility for graduate students.
• Executive Education Executive programmes for mid-career professionals and institutional sponsors seeking advanced education in international affairs, development, trade, governance, and sustainability.
• Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library Specialized library providing access to collections in international relations and development studies, including books, e-books, journals, databases, and digital collections, for students, researchers, and faculty.
• Digital Collections Digital library platform offering free access to historical books, archives, manuscripts, photographs, and audio recordings in international relations covering the 16th to 21st century, including Boris Souvarine Papers, Financial History, International Geneva Holdings, International Law Materials, Oral History Archive, and Remarkable Items.
• Swisscovery IHEID Catalogue Online discovery system providing access to the Institute's main collections, special collections, and archives through the Swisscovery platform.
• Research Centres Thirteen research centres covering democracy, digital humanities, finance and development, global sustainability, trade, conflict and peacebuilding, gender, global governance, global health, migration, and global education, supporting faculty, researchers, and students.
• Open Access Publishing Services Open Access Policy and support services, including Read and Publish agreements with major publishers, financing guidance for open access publications, and institutional Zenodo communities for Institute researchers and students.
• Oral History Archive Collection of oral histories including the Reproductive Rights Oral History Project documenting activists in the transnational reproductive rights movement, plus a general archive of oral histories collected by students and researchers as part of coursework or research projects.
• Research Data Management Services Comprehensive research data management support including workshops on data management planning, storage, anonymisation, sharing, and preservation, plus Zenodo integration for publishing research data for students and researchers.
• Podcast Production Services Library-supported podcast production services including equipment lending (Hindenburg Pro recording and editing software, microphones, mixers), recording spaces, and publishing guidance for Institute staff and students.
• Podcast Series (What Matters Today / In Conversation With) Official Institute podcasts including 'What Matters Today' and 'In Conversation With' broadcasting researchers' expertise on current events to prospective students, alumni, and the public.
• The Graduate Press Student-run publication platform covering student life, international politics, academic affairs, and opinion pieces at the Institute, with open submissions in English and French.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 alumni working internationally across 100+ countries

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnership through AI for the Global Majority (AI4GM) joint effort led by Professor Jude Kong from the University of Toronto. Developing AI governance tools for public health across the Global Majority with focus on Africa, including mapping AI integration in healthcare systems and building a dynamic dashboard to track AI systems for evidence-based decision-making.
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnership through AI for the Global Majority (AI4GM) joint effort. ITU, a United Nations specialized agency, collaborates on AI governance tools for public health across the Global Majority, presenting findings at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva on 9 July 2026.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hertie School: Hertie School is a Berlin-based graduate institution focused on public policy, international affairs, and governance. Comparable to IHEID in graduate-only structure, European multilateral positioning, executive education offerings, and policy-relevant research output.
• College of Europe: College of Europe is a postgraduate institution in Belgium focused on European and international affairs. Comparable in graduate-only structure, small specialized scale, and career pipeline into European institutions.
• Sciences Po: Sciences Po is Paris-based and a premier continental European institution for political science, international affairs, and public policy. Directly comparable in mission, graduate-only structure, and pipeline into multilateral and governmental careers that mirrors IHEID's Geneva positioning.
• Johns Hopkins SAIS: SAIS is a leading US graduate school focused on international relations, international economics, and policy, with a similar disciplinary master/PhD structure to IHEID and a comparable pipeline into international organizations, government, and think tanks.
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE): LSE is a leading UK graduate institution specializing in social sciences, international relations, economics, and political science — directly comparable to IHEID's mandate in international affairs and development. Both serve graduate and doctoral students globally and produce diplomats, policy makers, and international civil servants.
• SOAS University of London: SOAS specializes in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with strong development studies and international relations programmes. Comparable to IHEID's development studies focus and global geographic coverage of research.
• Tufts University - Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy: Fletcher is the oldest exclusively graduate school of international affairs in the US, offering master's and PhD programmes in international relations, law, and diplomacy — closely aligned with IHEID's disciplinary masters in IR, international law, and economics.
• Georgetown University - Walsh School of Foreign Service: Georgetown SFS is a premier US institution for international affairs, offering master's and PhD programmes with strong focus on diplomacy, global politics, and development — comparable to IHEID in student profile, interdisciplinary approach, and policy career outcomes.

Regional players

• University of Geneva: University of Geneva is the broader public research university in the same city, with overlapping international relations, law, and economics departments. Comparable in Geneva ecosystem and research themes but is a broader public institution rather than specialized graduate school.

Others

• Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) itself: Placeholder removed; not included as it is the subject company itself. ETH Zurich is included instead as a regional comparable.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/graduateinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/graduateinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/282827
• Instagraminstagram.com/graduateinstitute
• Xx.com/iheid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Geneva Graduate Institute