Professor André Gagné, director of the Department of Theological Studies at Concordia University (Montréal), is a leading specialist on Pentecostalism and the interaction of religion and politics.

This lecture examines the identity and global expansion of Pentecostal and charismatic movements, analysing how they reshape political and cultural landscapes in the twenty-first century. Gagné discusses key themes such as political mobilization, transnational networks and ideological influence, offering critical insights for scholars and students.

In French.

Ambassador Mzukisi Qobo, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the WTO, and Ambassador Tan Hung Seng, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the WTO and WIPO, discuss the role of trade and innovation in building sustainable peace. Drawing on multilateral trade experience and diplomatic practice, the dialogue examines cross‑regional collaboration, economic relationships as tools for stability, and challenges in intellectual property governance amid geopolitical instability. The session explores policy responses to disruptions in the multilateral trading system.

Henry N. Schiffman, lawyer and consultant specialising in financial and corporate sector reform, draws on more than three decades of work with international financial institutions and national authorities. He examines how financial sector legislation has evolved in developing and transition economies since 1990 and the challenges governments faced in building effective institutions. The lecture investigates central bank and commercial bank law, company law, secured credit, insolvency, securities law and recent financial stability reforms.

In English.

The Annual Pierre du Bois Doctoral Workshop brings together doctoral researchers and specialists to examine economic, political and technological exchanges between Asian communist states and the capitalist world during the Cold War. Speakers include LIU Yi and YANG Ziru (Geneva Graduate Institute), Dr. Severyan Dyakonov (SNSF, University of Fribourg) and Karina Khasnulina (Leipzig University). The workshop investigates how cross-bloc entanglements across the so-called “Bamboo Curtain” persisted and how they shaped Cold War rivalry and Asian economic development.

An interdisciplinary workshop investigating how Christian actors and value systems have shaped multilateral institutions and norms. Participants examine contributions of churches, Christian NGOs and individuals to the multilateral system, the circulation and secularization of religious values, and the impact of Christian frameworks on family policy, women’s rights, human rights and corporate social responsibility. The programme foregrounds underrepresented actors, spatial and institutional settings, and temporal dynamics from the twentieth to the twenty-first century, fostering comparative and transnational perspectives.

In English.

Marceau Schroeter, founder of the Pop Démocratie association and author of Au cœur de la démocratie suisse and its English translation A Journey Inside Swiss Democracy, examines how Swiss semi‑direct democracy functions and how the ‘No to Ten Million Switzerland’ initiative emerged. He explores potential effects on immigration policy, relations with the EU, and consequences for academic institutions and International Geneva. The panel will also consider how populist narratives and emotions shape democratic debate.