Shanxi University Study Tour: 'Red Spirit & Global Governance' in Switzerland 2025
In August 2025, the Global Youth Governance Association (GYGA) welcomed a delegation from the School of Marxism at Shanxi University to Geneva, Switzerland, for the “Revisiting the Red Spirit, Exploring Global Governance” study tour.
About GYGA
Headquartered in Geneva, the Global Youth Governance Association (GYGA) is dedicated to international educational exchange and UN talent development. It has coordinated ministerial, provincial, and university delegations visiting Switzerland and international organisations, and serves as a key bridge connecting China and the international community in education, culture, and global governance.
Programme Highlights
CERN – European Organisation for Nuclear Research
The delegation’s first stop was CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory and birthplace of the World Wide Web, located on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. Founded on 29 September 1954, CERN today counts 21 member states and represents the spirit of borderless scientific collaboration. Students visited the Science Gateway, learned about the discovery of the Higgs Boson, and took part in hands-on exhibits exploring the connections between subatomic particles and cosmic phenomena.
“Listening to the researchers describe capturing the moment of particle collision, the theories that had lived only in textbooks suddenly felt real and alive.” — Student Zheng
“I was amazed to discover that subatomic particles are closely connected to the formation of nebulae in the vast universe. The microscopic and the macroscopic turned out to be part of the same story.” — Student He
University of Geneva
Students visited the historic University of Geneva (founded 1559 by John Calvin), one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious public universities. In the Central Library, they followed the intellectual footsteps of Lenin, who studied and wrote there during his time in Switzerland — an experience of particular resonance for students of Marxism, bridging revolutionary history and living scholarship.
Geneva Old Town & City Hall
The delegation explored Geneva’s medieval Old Town and visited the Hôtel de Ville, home to the Alabama Room where the 1864 Geneva Convention — the foundation of modern international humanitarian law — was signed. Students also visited LIBRAIRIE JULLIEN, a bookshop passed down through six generations of the same family, where several students acquired original German-language editions of Marx’s works as keepsakes.
“Switzerland’s preservation of its historic districts is not merely physical maintenance — it is a re-production of cultural identity. The co-existence of old and new reflects a city governance philosophy deeply connected to historical materialism’s principle of inheritance and agency.” — Student Guan
UN & International Organisation Workshops
The centrepiece of the programme was in-depth visits to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Students attended expert lectures by senior officials including a Deputy Director-General of the ILO and a former Secretary-General of the ICRC, gaining first-hand understanding of global governance mechanisms, multilateral diplomacy, and international public policy.
“In this UN practical training carefully designed by GYGA, we felt the pulse of global governance and witnessed the power of international commitment. Every step broadened our horizons and deepened our thinking.” — Student reflection
Outcomes
Through this programme, participants developed a systematic understanding of the global governance system and gained a deeper appreciation of the “Community of a Shared Future for Mankind.” Immersed in an exchange between Chinese and Western thought, students returned with strengthened convictions, a broadened international perspective, and renewed determination to tell China’s story on the world stage.
“The days in Geneva were brief, yet burning and unforgettable. May we carry this international vision and sense of responsibility forward — connecting the world with the energy of youth.”