Summer interview 2014 – Cédric Dupont, Professor of international relations and Director of Executive Education at the Graduate Institute
Cédric Dupont teaches international relations at the Graduate Institute Geneva, where he is also in charge of executive education programmes. Here, he tells us about his work over the summer months, his holiday plans as well as his favourite books, music and places to visit in the Geneva area this summer.
August 2014
What are you working on this summer?
I am working on the first chapters of a book on arbitration related to international investments with my colleague Thomas Schultz, looking at the impact of increased arbitration processes on States' abilities to adopt responsible and legitimate public policies.
I will also take advantage of the summer break to travel to South-East Asia and do some teaching in the region. And as with each summer, I will design new teaching material for executive courses in the upcoming academic year, with a special focus on the needs of professionals who want to better understand and master regulatory dynamics in international affairs.
Holiday plans?
After I return from work in SE Asia, I will take some holidays alternating between short stays in the mountains (in Valais), in Northern France (on the coast of Nacre in Normandy for its invigorating air, abundant beaches and its heritage), and in the South of Europe for warmer water and weather.
Do you have a place you really love, in Geneva or in the surrounding area?
The lakeside Parc Barton, of course, but it is also the place where our offices are located! In the surroundings, I like the Chablais, from the banks of Lake Geneva to the various plateaus and peaks, and I have a particular attachment to the Chablais mountains of Valais.
How about a summer book recommendation for our readers?
For a pleasant disorientation of time and space, I recommend reading "The Automobile Club of Egypt" (Alaa El Aswany's more recent work, preceded by the Yacoubian Building) and "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini (author of "The Kite Runner"). Mix these with a little suspense from recent crime novels from the breeding ground of Scandinavian authors!
And on the music scene?
Some simple advice: take advantage of the fabulous wealth of festivals which take place on both sides of Lake Geneva, in hopes that the summer will not be too wet!