The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies is a new Institute generated by the merger of the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI) with the Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED), established respectively in 1927 and 1961. It is a private foundation, receiving financial support from the Swiss Confederation and the Canton of Geneva. <br /><br />The Institute’s mission as an institution of higher education and research is to provide independent and rigorous analyses of current and emerging world issues with a double emphasis on international relations and development studies. It has a particular concern for promoting international cooperation and bringing an academic contribution to less advanced nations.