Child Protection Strategies and Policies

This executive education programme explores the concept of child protection in the child-family-state triangle and provides a comparative overview of child protection systems in Europe and the USA, Latin America and the Caribbean, and West Africa. It emphasizes the link between children's rights and child protection and discusses experiences to strengthen child protection systems.

Objectives

  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of child protection within the child-family-state triangle, and the different child protection systems across regions.
  • Critically examine the link between children's rights and child protection systems and understand the role of children’s rights in shaping professional practices.
  • Develop the ability to use children’s rights-centred approaches to the resolution of child protection-related issues and problems through the effective use of international and national human rights standards and mechanisms.

Audience

Professional who works with children’s rights issues: lawyer, psychologist, sociologist, judge, law enforcement officer, social worker, teacher, government official, staff from governmental and non-governmental organizations, academic and journalistic.

Overview

The plan of study consists of a one-week-long teaching programme online and includes reading, writing and practical learning exercises. 

You will learn from outstanding scholars about:

  • The concept of child protection within the child-family-state triangle and discusses the status of parenthood in the CRC.
  • The different child protection systems in Europe, the USA, Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa.
  • The link between children's rights and child protection systems and the connection between human rights and professional practices.
  • Alternative care.
  • The anti-politics of child protection.

Pedagogical methods

Dynamic methods combining lectures, group discussions and workshops allow the interaction between theory and practice.

Speakers

Selected prominent practitioners in international organizations and renowned international experts in children’s rights.

Admission criteria

Persons who wish to participate as an auditor to one or more of the executive training programmes are required to hold a university degree (or judged equivalent) and are expected to have at least two years of relevant professional experience. They must also have a very good working knowledge of English to participate actively in the programme.

This application consists of:

  • the completed application form.
  • a motivation letter.
  • a short curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages) that includes education record, professional history and work experience in children's rights.

Applications to participate as auditor, have to be submitted in English by email or by post at least one month before the start of the programme. 

The Steering Committee will revise the application and provide the approval. The decisions of the Steering Committee regarding applications for auditors are final.

A limited number of auditors can be accepted to attend the programme. Therefore, early applications will be given priority and acceptance is granted on a first come first served basis.

Certificate

Participants receive a certificate of attendance to the specified programme(s).

Fees

Application Fee: CHF 150

Tuition fee: CHF 2’300

Director

Prof. Karl Hanson, Centre interfacultaire en droits de l’enfant (CIDE), University of Geneva.

Coordinator

Dr Roberta Ruggiero, University of Geneva

Registration:
For those wishing to attend this programme contact Hortense Hofer 2 months ahead of the start date at the following email address: mcr-secretariat@unige.ch

pdf-icon.png Application Form

Period of Studies:
29 September - 3 October 2025 - 5 days

Location: Online

Language: English

Administrative information
Hortense Hofer
mcr-secretariat@unige.ch
+41 (0) 27 205 73 93

Pedagogical information
Simon Nehme
simon.nehme@unige.ch