„The Politics, the Law, and the Economics of Forced Migration”
The MIA student fund was established to allow foreign students with limited financial resources to take part in foreign assignments during the “International Affairs” study programme. A Master’s student was given the opportunity to take part in a trip to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon in spring 2017. This is a unique opportunity for students to experience the extent of a genuine refugee crisis at close hand and grow as a responsible individual outside their own country. This unique opportunity has become a reality thanks to the bequeather Adrian Zingg.
Guillaume Checri, currently pursuing a Master’s degree at St.Gallen’s International Affairs and Governance programme
«I was honoured and privileged to be a part of the field seminar on forced migration offered by professors Christoph Frei and Mahmoud Haidar in April 2017. This unique experience gave me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of the refugee crisis in my own country of origin.
The seminar was organised in close partnership with the American University of Beirut, and consisted of a series of panels on subjects related to the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. One of many highlights was a trip to a refugee settlement in Bekaa Valley, where representatives of the Red Cross introduced us to their different activities and related challenges.
I am deeply grateful to the late Adrian Zingg and his Bequest for affording me a chance to be part of such a great experience, and to assist Dr. Frei in the organization of the trip. Being familiar with the social and political context in Lebanon and speaking the local languages, I had the privilege to show and explain my own country to international peers, while learning to better understand the realities of the complex situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.»
Christoph Frei, Academic Director, International Affairs and Governance programmes, University of St. Gallen
«Making ends meet while studying in Switzerland does not always come easy. When I invited Guillaume Checri to join a small group of Master’s students for a field trip to the Lebanon (his native country), he was too proud to speak about money. Soon enough, however, it dawned on me that some support might be welcome and necessary. Thanks to the Lingg Legacy, we were blessed with a win-win-configuration in the very best sense of the term: Guillaume was able to participate and provide invaluable assistance – and throughout the seminar, the entire group could benefit from his intimate knowledge of both the Lebanese political system and social culture.»
