Mara Tignino Appointed Scientific Director of the Geneva Water Hub

The Geneva Water Hub is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mara Tignino as its new Scientific Director. 

Mara Tignino is also Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and the Global Studies Institute of the University of Geneva. She is currently the Principal Investigator of a Swiss National Science Foundation–funded research project on transboundary water cooperation between EU Member States and third countries. Her work focuses on the legal and institutional dimensions of international water cooperation in complex geopolitical contexts.

Over the course of her career, she has held visiting professorships in several countries, including the United States, China, Italy, France, and Spain. She has also acted as legal adviser and counsel for States before the International Court of Justice, bringing high-level practical experience to her academic and policy-oriented work.

Mara Tignino holds a Diplôme d’études supérieures and a Ph.D. in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She received her Habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR) from the Faculty of Law of the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from LUISS University in Rome and a Certificat d’études politiques européennes from the Institut d’Études Politiques of Strasbourg.

Her research spans international law, political science, and international relations, with a strong focus on transboundary water governance and cooperation. In her new role as Scientific Director, she will contribute to strengthening the Geneva Water Hub’s research agenda and its engagement at the science–policy–diplomacy interface.