James Brenton (JD ’12), spending a semester abroad at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland

“My exchange in Geneva has been particularly interesting because of the differences in the way that classes are conducted, and how students think about the issues raised. Classes are very participatory and discussion-based, and the material often more open-ended and theoretical than I am accustomed to. It has been a sobering experience to find that perspectives that I considered obvious may not be shared by German, Peruvian, or Chinese classmates. I have already had to change some of my opinions on issues of international law and, for those opinions that haven’t changed, I have had the great experience of needing to articulate my position in front of a room of very skeptical international students.”