Brian Kelly Nyaga reflects on his journey from Nairobi to Geneva to pursue an LL.M. in International Law. He shares insights into academic life, the dynamic environment of International Geneva, and the personal growth that comes with stepping into the unknown.

The Transition

A lot can be said about the transition from professional employment to postgraduate studies. Even more can be said when the transition involves relocating to a new city. However, the decision becomes far easier when the university is recognised as a centre of academic excellence and the new city is located at the heart of global governance and multilateral diplomacy. In this sense, my decision to leave Nairobi to travel approximately 6,000 kilometres to Geneva to pursue an LL.M. in International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute felt less like a point of debate and more like an intuitive path forward. I will use the next couple of paragraphs to talk about the experience so far. Spoiler alert: it’s going great!

My fascination with international law was sparked during my undergraduate studies when I participated in international moot court competitions that focused on different fields of international law, such as the ELSA Moot Court Competition. This interest carried on into my early professional years, where I practised international trade law at a leading corporate law firm in Nairobi. I then transitioned into policy advisory roles, where I interacted with international law on a daily basis. This mix of academic and professional interests in international law guided my decision to focus my postgraduate studies on public international law broadly and international environmental law more specifically.

Now that I knew what I wanted to study, I needed to find the right university. The Geneva Graduate Institute emerged as an obvious choice due to the mix of world-renowned faculty, proximity to international organisations, and the highly ranked LL.M. course. I was also drawn to the promise of a programme grounded in practice through practical training. The final push I needed to make the application came from a friend and former classmate who had recently completed the LL.M. and spoke highly of his experience (thanks, Nciko!).

International Geneva

Geneva is renowned as a global centre for multilateral diplomacy. While I had previously come across this description, I only fully appreciated it once I arrived in mid-September, towards the end of summer. Immediately, I was surrounded by international organisations, NGOs and permanent missions. Even the streets were lined with public sculptures and other art installations, such as the Broken Chair, that communicated the collective goal of multilateral cooperation pursued by different actors in Geneva. To further cement this idea of being at the heart of multilateralism, the LL.M. administration organised a class visit to the Palais des Nations within the first week of the programme. I have continued to explore international Geneva through conferences, workshops, coffee chats and morning runs that take me past the World Trade Organisation located near the shores of Lac Léman.

The classroom

The international exposure extends to the classroom, where my classmates are drawn from over 15 countries. This cultural diversity has enriched class discussions as students share experiences from their domestic legal systems and varied professional and educational backgrounds. Through these exchanges, I have learnt a significant amount from this brilliant cohort of lawyers.

The world-class faculty has been a personal highlight of my LL.M. journey. There’s a saying that one should never meet their heroes, for fear they might be disappointed. My experience at the Graduate Institute has disproven this entirely. I am continuously impressed by the quality of teaching from faculty members I consider academic and professional lighthouses, individuals whose insights shaped my thinking as a young international lawyer, even before I embarked on postgraduate studies. Further, the value of a world-class faculty is pronounced by the fact that I am studying public international law at a time when a multipolar world order characterised by geopolitical tensions and fragmentations is emerging. The lecturers expertly integrate these realities into the coursework, not as anecdotes, but as events influencing the development of public international law.

Beyond the classroom, being at the Graduate Institute has brought me into a vibrant community of brilliant and outgoing individuals. From game nights to coffee dates and Saturday morning runs, my experience in Geneva has and continues to be an unfolding adventure. I will conclude with a quote by Abraham Maslow that I have reflected on multiple times during this journey: “In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety”.

---

For more information about the LL.M. in International Law, visit the programme page.