Personal security and health risks

Exposure to risk is inherent to international travel and include possible exposure to terrorism, violent crime or health issues in any country of the world. In order to assess those risks, students and researchers travelling abroad are required to follow UNIGE’s policy regarding risk areas and refer to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Individuals can be put at risk both in Switzerland or abroad, and both Swiss and foreign citizens. Particular attention must be paid to the following issues:

• Arbitrary jailing for certain nationals might be possible: students and staff with non Swiss citizenship must also check their government’s recommendations on travelling abroad before their trip.
• Some governments do not recognize dual nationality
• Ethnic or social origin, religion or sexual orientation can be prejudicial, despite governmental policies on non-discrimination
• Drug detention, even in small quantities can be strictly prohibited and severely punished
• Pollution levels might be higher than in Switzerland, leading to health issues
• Field research must be conducted with the collaboration of a local academic partner. In some cases, foreigners can endanger locals simply by having contacts with them.
• Some western campuses are experiencing rising discrimination on scholars and students of foreign origin. Should it be the case at UNIGE, support for students, staff members and witnesses is available at https://www.unige.ch/maletre/en/.

Back to the self-evaluation