Opening doors, Transforming futures: The impact of MIDS Scholarships

  • Financial hardship should not determine who gets access to opportunity.

    Bridget AziekaNigeria (MIDS Class of 2026)

For Bridget Azieka (Nigeria), those words capture a reality faced by many talented lawyers around the world.

Every year, exceptional candidates earn admission to the Master in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS), a programme jointly offered by the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute Geneva.

Yet for some, receiving an offer of admission is only the first hurdle. The cost of relocating to Geneva and pursuing postgraduate studies can place the programme beyond reach. Scholarships help ensure that talent, dedication, and potential, rather than financial circumstances, determine who can access opportunities that can shape a lifetime.

For Effie Okhola Odhiambo (Kenya), scholarship support made all the difference.

  • Your support kept that door open. It gave me access to top-tier training and professional networks that would otherwise have remained beyond my reach. You did not simply pay a fee. You placed a bet on a young lawyer from Kenya, and I intend to spend my career proving it was a good one.

    Effie Okhola OdhiamboKenya (MIDS Class of 2026)

Reflecting on the impact of that support, she adds:

  • Every opportunity I describe in this reflection stems from that one decision to invest in me.

    Effie Okhola OdhiamboKenya (MIDS Class of 2026)

Her story illustrates something scholarship recipients frequently emphasise: a scholarship is not simply financial support. It is access to a global community, specialised expertise, and professional opportunities that might otherwise remain inaccessible.

Adeyemi Eustace Gomes (Nigeria) shares a similar perspective:

  • I am 100% certain that my MIDS journey would have been extremely difficult, and perhaps even impossible, without this scholarship.

    Adeyemi Eustace GomesNigeria (MIDS Class of 2026)

For him, the value extended far beyond tuition support: 

  • The MIDS put me in rooms I would never have been able to enter myself.

    Adeyemi Eustace GomesNigeria (MIDS Class of 2026)

These experiences are difficult to quantify. Yet they often prove to be among the most significant outcomes of a student's year in Geneva.

A growing need

Scholarship support has become increasingly important. During the 2026 admissions cycle, too many of the candidates ranked among the strongest applicants in the admissions process ultimately declined or withdrew for financial reason. Beyond identifying outstanding talent, the challenge is ensuring that admitted students are able to take up their place.

Beyond one student

The impact of a scholarship extends well beyond a single academic year. Since its creation in 2008, the MIDS has welcomed students from nearly 100 countries. Many scholarship recipients come from developing, emerging, or conflict-affected economies where access to specialised training in international dispute settlement remains limited.

After graduation, MIDS alumni go on to careers in international law firms, arbitral institutions, governments, international organisations, academia, and the private sector. Many contribute directly to institution-building, legal reform, dispute resolution, and public service in their home countries.

Among them is Ndanga Kamau (Kenya), Independent arbitrator and former Vice President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Reflecting on her experience, she notes:

  • "I applied to the MIDS hoping it would help me start a career in international dispute settlement. The reality far exceeded my expectations; it changed my life. I recommend it without reservation."

    Ndanga Kamau, MIDS'10Independent arbitrator and former Vice President, ICC International Court of Arbitration

Her journey reflects the broader impact of scholarship support. Today's scholarship recipient may become tomorrow's arbitrator, government adviser, academic, judge, mediator, or institutional leader.

Thank you to our scholarship partners

The MIDS scholarship programme would not be possible without the generosity of its donors. We are particularly grateful for the support of:  

Their commitment helps ensure that exceptional candidates can pursue their ambitions regardless of financial circumstances.

We are equally grateful to a number of anonymous donors whose generosity continues to make these opportunities possible.

Looking ahead

Every scholarship preserves an opportunity that might otherwise be lost. It enables talented lawyers to access world-class education, develop specialised expertise, build international networks, and contribute to institutions, businesses, governments, and communities around the world. As international dispute settlement continues to grow in importance, ensuring access to that expertise has never mattered more.

Because the future of international dispute resolution should be shaped by excellence and potential, not by financial means.