LLM Student Stephen Hare Wins Best Speaker Award at the 36th Jean-Pictet Competition

21 December 2021

Stephen Hare, enrolled in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, won the Gilbert-Apollis Prize at the 36th Edition of the Jean-Pictet Competition that took place in early December in Albania.

Stephen was part of a Cambodian team from the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh that reached the semi-finals for the first time. His participation follows a call from the organizers who needed a student to complement this Cambodian team.

‘When the organizers of the Jean-Pictet Competition asked us for a possibility to have one of our LLM students joining the Cambodian team, we’ve made a call for candidates among our current students. Based on the applications received, together with the Jean-Pictet Committee we selected Stephen for his strong motivation. This has proven to be a good choice!’ explains Yulia Mogutova, Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy and the Coach of the Geneva Academy team that will participate in the 38th edition.

‘Participation in this competition is one of the most unique experiences I have ever had, not only because of the diverse and challenging simulations (which push you far outside your comfort zone) but also having the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world and to teach each other things about the cultures we represent made it an experience that I will never forget’ says Stephen.

The Gilbert-Apollis Prize for the best speaker was awarded to one out of the around 150 talented participants in this competition. It not only recognizes the most articulate speaker but also the person who best embodies the Pictet values such as humanity, friendship, respect and generosity.

‘We are very proud of Stephen who had limited time to prepare, joined a team he did not know before and performed very well’ says Professor Gloria Gaggioli, Director of the Geneva Academy.

‘One of the main ideas behind the Gilbert-Apollis Prize is the value of teamwork and I was so lucky, not only to have met but also to be part of a team with Moneyneath Men and Rattanak Borin, representing the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh. We were pulled together at the last minute so this award, in recognition of how we were able to work so well with one another, truly means the world. I can’t wait to catch up with them in Cambodia in the near future!’ says Stephen.

A Geneva Academy team, coached by our Teaching Assistant Yulia Mogutova will participate in the 38th Jean-Pictet Competition that will take place in March 2022 also in Albania.

‘Participation in Jean-Pictet Competition is a unique opportunity ‘to take the law out of the books’. Stephen has proven to be ready for this challenge. His journey was very special, as he had to join an already formed team that has been preparing for the competition for the whole year and had a lot of experience by the time they arrived in Albania. I believe this prepared him for the future humanitarian career, where we do not always know who we will work with but we need to adapt, learn to trust each other and achieve the best result possible’ says Yulia Mogutova.