Horizon académique

« As a secretary in the Student Services of GSEM, my colleagues and I support students throughout their entire academic journey — from admission to faculty transfers, to exam registration — for more than 1,200 Bachelor’s and Master’s students, including exchange students coming from all over the world. Among these students, I make no distinction with the participants of the Horizon académique program: I always provide the same care and attentiveness whenever they need guidance or reassurance in navigating a complex study program or any other questions related to their academic path. »

« For me, mentoring was a truly enriching experience. It not only allowed me to discover the university from a new perspective, but also to make new friends. The relationship that developed between myself and the participants was not one of mentorship or dependency, but rather a friendship that extended beyond university life. I am very grateful to be part of this valuable program and to contribute to supporting the integration of refugees and migrants at the University of Geneva. »

« My name is Khadra Mohamed, I am 24 years old and a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Nursing. Since the beginning of the academic year in September 2020, I have been a member of the academic integration program. I joined this project because it was important to me to help migrants find their place in Swiss society and integrate into a University of Applied Sciences, in order to build their professional path. During the first few weeks, I felt quite stressed, wondering whether I was truly ‘legitimate’ in offering them my support. I also doubted my knowledge, not knowing if I would be able to answer all their questions. On top of that, I felt apprehensive about this new role and put a lot of pressure on myself. At our first meeting, my final-year classmate and I were a bit nervous about visiting new participants in their homes for an initial contact. In the end, we decided to trust them and went ahead with the home visit. To our surprise, we discovered that our two participants were two young men full of goodwill and kindness. I had expected to be overwhelmed with questions about registration procedures and administrative steps, but to my great surprise, that was not the case. Instead, I came to know a wonderful couple who shared with us their life stories, their journey to Europe, and their struggle as a homosexual couple in a conservative country. My experience in this program has been enriching, deeply human, and allowed me to build a relationship based on respect and open-mindedness. Of course, I provided them with support, guidance, and knowledge, but I also received so much in return — gratitude, smiles, and a spirit of sharing. I learned about members of the LGBT community who had to fight for their rights, leave their country, culture, and studies behind, all for the sake of freedom. This experience has made me realize the tremendous sacrifices migrants have to make. Despite having faced difficult life circumstances and journeys to Europe marked by obstacles and trauma, these individuals remain highly motivated to resume their studies in a language unfamiliar to them, in a country entirely new to them. Through Horizon académique, I have had the chance to get to know participants who have since become true friends — people whose experiences deeply impress me and from whom I still have much to learn. I will continue to support them and give them all that I can until the end of their studies, and even beyond this academic year. To conclude, I am deeply grateful to be able to share this human adventure, despite the health situation that prevents us from engaging in more activities together. »