Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles

Alumni Testimonials

 

 

2018 2017 2016    2015    2011-2014  

 

2018

 

Antoine De Spiegeleir, Alumni 2018, 3rd year bachelor student on Law and Philosophy, Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles, Belgium.

 

"I had the chance to attend the 2018 edition of the IEE USL-B Summer School on EU Business Law and WTO Practice. This one stood out among other summer programs I attended for three main reasons. First, the tour of major European and international institutions organised during the second week, which allowed us to understand how those institutions actually work. Second, the fact that several courses were taught, not at USL-B, but at different prestigious law firms, which made it possible for us to receive first hand experience from practitioners. Third, the very high multiculturality of the group, which enabled us to learn from each others as much as from the actual teaching. I, thus, definitely recommend it for students willing to get a strong introduction to EU Business law and WTO practice in the center of Europe".

 

Jolien De Troyer, Alumni 2018, 1st year master student on Law, KULeuven, Belgium.

 

"I applied for the Summer School to expand my knowledge in EU (business) and WTO law as a law student. During this Summer School, we’ve touched upon a broad variety of topics. Some of the topics were given by excellent professors, others by leading practitioners. The combination of lectures from both an academic point of view and from a more practical point of view has provided me with insight into different issues.

 

During the second week, we had a trip to Luxemburg, Strasbourg and Geneva to visit several EU/international institutions. This week was a perfect addition to everything I had learned about EU (business) and WTO law in law school as well as during this Summer School. I think it’s important to experience how these institutions are functioning in real life, instead of only reading and hearing about all of this. This Summer School is a great opportunity to do this is an organized and educative way. 

 

The Summer School was attended by people with different cultural and academic backgrounds. So apart from everything I have learned in this Summer School, I also had a great cross-cultural and social experience. This Summer School made me get to know a lot of great people from all around the world. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is willing to learn more about EU and WTO law".

 

Miriam Schaeffer, Alumni 2018, PhD in Law, Unisinos Law School, Brazil.

 

"I can definitely say that the summer programme organised by the Institute for European Studies at Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles- provided me an eye opening experience regarding the European Union, its institutions, its organization and specially its complexity in all levels and areas of law. The combination of lectures on topics such as Antidumping, Competion Law, IP Law, Tax Law among others and visits to several different Institutions in three different beautiful cities is a perfect combination of academia and practice. I really enjoyed visiting the European Court of Justice and having the opportunity to talk to one of AG´s assistant.

Everything went well, and I would definitely recommend the Summer program for those that have an interest in European affairs".

 

2017

 

Alexander Descheemaeker, Alumni 2017, 3rd year bachelor student on Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

 

"Being a student in applied economics with a strong interest in European affairs, I applied and completed the summer school in the summer of 2017. The emphasis on EU law was a very interesting aspect and a great addition to my current field of study, economics. In combination with a very diverse and international group of people and the many interesting visits and meeting with top officials, politicians and judges made this an excellent learning experience.  

 

The balanced programme consisting of interesting classes combined with practical visits to several major institutions of the EU and the WTO makes this summer school a very attractive and recommended experience for anyone with an interest for EU law, EU politics and international trade. Also, the collaboration with the international top tier law firm Van Bael en Bellis offers the participants an excellent view into the world of practicing EU law. 

 

Needless to say, all this classes, visits and other activities here very well organised and managed by the organizing institution, the Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles. I would recommend this summer school to any person or student with a interest in European affairs". 

 

2016

 

Giulia De Pian, Brazilian, Alumni 2016, 3rd year LL.B student on Law with International Relations, University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

 

"I applied to join the Summer School in order to get ahead start for my third year of University and to enrich myself in the current EU issues and to learn more about trade law. I really enjoyed the Summer School, I made lots of new friends from all over the world with similar interests, and listened to lecturers given by a wide array of professors with each day giving a new topic.

 

What I enjoyed most were the visits to the institutions, such as the European Parliament where we learned how a law may be passed through a role play game. The trip to the European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights and the World Trade Organisation was the highlight of the summer school. I learned so much by listening to the court cases, speakers and tours.

 

I had an opportunity to see and feel what it is like being in court, something most law students just read about. Where the actual cases I usually read about where being judged in front of me! It was mostly well managed, and I would recommend it to any law student or lawyer wishing to enrich their knowledge on EU and Trade Law, it is an experience you will not forget !".

 

Najwa Hasawi, Lebanese, Alumni 2016, Lawyer.

 

"Brussels is the heart of EU institutions and Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles has given me a truly unique insight into the vast and diverse EU Business law content. This programme, introduced me to numerous valuable topics and helped me to understand the field I want to go in the future. The Summer School was very interestingly crafted: the programme was an excellent mixture of knowledge and practices as well as organised visits to three beautiful cities. I had the opportunity to assist to two hearings at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and at the  the European  Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Finally, we visited the WTO in Geneva.

 

Being in a group of international students, it offered me a rich cross-cultural exchange. Futhermore, we can not forget the highly competent lecturers such as Damien Gerard, Jean-François Bellis (and his prestigious law-firm Van Bael&Bellis we visited too) or Nicolas Petit and the well-organised infrastructure due to the Coordination Officer and to the IEE trainee".

 

David Perez de Lamo*, Spanish, Alumni 2016, 5th year student on Law and Business Administration & Management, Universidad Autonoma de Madrd, Spain. *Selected for an interview at Van Bale & Bellis.

 

"The summer programme organised by the Institute for European Studies at Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles provided me and my colleagues with a great chance to delve into a wide variety of topics dealing with EU Law and WTO matters concerning Data Protection, Constitutional Law of the EU, Trade Defenses, Internal Market Law or Competition Law among many others. The classes primarily focused on handling us a well-defined structure so that we could further research these areas on our own, but also included more than sufficient reading materials and substantial content.

 

Furthermore, the Summer School achieves to strike a fine balance between the different interests of its participants. It’s not only well-rounded from an academic or scholarly standpoint, but likewise in terms of approaching the subjects from a practical angle. This is directly aided by the stimulating and fascinating visits to the European Parliament, European Court of Human Rights, WTO and ECJ, as well as by the constant collaboration of the highly ranked law firm Van Bael & Bellis. All of this for the best price in the market and without leaving behind the social concerns of the participants.

 

The results of such a well-prepared programme couldn’t be other than positive. It allowed me to meet, in such a short period of time, amazing people from all around the world and to acquire abundant knowledge in these areas. In addition, I was able to perform the best so I will consequently have the chance to face an interview for an internship at Van Bael & Bellis, challenging opportunity I look forwards to take advantage of”.

 

2015

 

Myriam Ben Jedira, Belgian, Alumni 2015, Former administrative assistant and political sciences student (evening classes).

 

"The EU Business Law and WTO Trade Practice Summer Program was a great experience. The courses allowed me to be familiar of some important aspects of the EU issues such as the intellectual property rights. Besides, an introduction to the competition law was useful to understand some EU cases and how the ECJ deals with the cases related to that field. The ECJ’s visit was a great illustration of the theory we have learned beforehand. The third week in Geneva focused on international trade with a reminder of the IP rights and an introduction of the functioning of the WTO. We met different WTO actors and we were lucky to visit this international institution. On top of that, we met an important actor of the US mission representation in Geneva who negotiates the TTIP inside the WTO which is a huge deal in Europe.

 

The coordinators of the program were competent and available throughout the three weeks. According to me, the EU summer school organized by Saint-Louis University and by the University of Georgia School of Law was a success and I recommend it to students or workers who want to have concrete and useful materials to understand the EU and the WTO".

 

Vivian Adaeze Ozue, Nigerian, Alumni 2015, Ph.D student international law, Xiamen University school of law, Fujian province, China. 

 

"The 5th edition Summer School "EU Business Law and WTO Trade Practice" in Geneva was the right course for me this summer. Being a Ph.D student whose area of research dealt with international trade and the WTO, I needed a platform where I could learn more about my field and also get my questions answered.

 

The programme was the right one I was looking for, the curriculum of the courses focused directly on what I wanted, giving me the stepping stone to move forward. I am glad I was able to be part of this wonderful programme. But it was not also just about the course itself, the organisation and organisers were also great and would readily recommend any of my fellow classmates to do it next time"

 

 

Sam van Dijck, Dutch, Alumni 2015, 2nd year of Master in Philosophy and Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and 1st year of Master in Political Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

 

"Taking part in this summer program has been a truly rewarding experience, both on a personal as well as on an academic level. On the one side there are the excellent and accessible lectures, which explain both the functioning of the EU institutions as well as the most important areas of European Law very well. On the other side the program is also an excellent opportunity to meet and get to know students from all over the world with similar interests but different backgrounds and perspectives. Combine these two sides with the excellent excursions to EU and WTO institutions and important Law firms working in the field and you end up with a summer program that you will not soon forget.

 

On a separate note I would like to encourage also non-law students to apply to the program if you are interested in the subject. Though coming from a very different background myself (economics/ political science/ philosophy) I had no trouble to follow the lectures or in passing the exams".

 

Rinat Ziyodillaev, Uzbek, Alumni 2015, Research assistant at PluriCourts, 2nd year of LL.M in Public International Law, University of Oslo (Norway).

 

"I participated in the Geneva part of the Summer School on WTO Trade Practice Summer Program. It went over my expectations; I had an unforgettable experience from academic and social and networking perspectives. The lectures were delivered by high ranking officials from the WTO and leading law practitioners from famous International law firms who are directly dealing with WTO dispute settlement which made the lectures and meetings informative and very engaging.

 

Besides, Geneva as a beautiful city with full of history and the home of many international organizations made the summer school much more exciting. Especially thanks for organizers of this summer school making it such a memorable and effective program".

 

2011-2014

 

Alba Brojka, Albanian, Alumni 2014, 2nd year of Bachelor in International Relations, University of New York Tirana (Albania)

 

"This Summer School was an unforgettable experience to me, as well as to my friends. The course met my expectations academically and I think it was taught from some of the best professionals in European Studies. In addition I really liked how they mixed the lectures in the class and the experience at the institutions we talked about within the program. This way we had an overview of the policies of EU, an insight view from the people working there and also a critical perspective from the lawyers of Van Bael & Bellis and Liedekerke law firms. I was really impressed with Brussels too. I find it a great city to visit, with an intensive life, delicious chocolate and very pleasant people. I am sure this experience helped me a lot on becoming a better student and suggested me that Brussels is a great choice for my Master. Thank you all!"

 

Humberto Celi Torres, Belgian, Alumni 2014, 2nd year of Master in European Studies, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)

 

"The Summer School was a great and original way to learn about the functioning of the European institutions but also about the European integration roots. The diversity of nationalities and cultures of the people who participated in this program enriched it because new viewpoints were constantly discussed. The level of teachers is undoubtedly high; the explanations were very clear and dynamic. Furthermore, it was a friendly and sympathetic learning framework, as many extracurricular activities were made (i.e. the visit of the European Parliament and the opportunities to do sightseeing in Brussels).

If the opportunity was given to me, I would not hesitate to do it again."

 

Ayu Paska, Indonesian, Alumni 2014, Legal consultant, Jakarta (Indonesia)

 

"I found this joint summer program between the University of Saint-Louis and University of Georgia very interesting as they really combine the lectures inside and outside classroom. A very attractive approach to deliver dense topics and material in a very casual and easy to digest method. The most fun part was that we can meet new friends from other hemisphere."

 

Stefan Reitemeyer, German, Alumni 2014, research assistant and PhD student in European and International Public Law, University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

 

"I participated in the Geneva part of the Summer School on international trade law, and it offered a unique program consisting of lectures given by worldwide renown professors at the graduate institute in Geneva, and of vivid insights given both by leading lawyers in their field and several high ranking officials from the World Trade Organization member states. This, and the participants from all continents, made the Summer School an unforgettable summer experience."

 

Delphine Delaunoy, Belgian, Alumni 2014, 2nd year of Master of Economics, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)

 

"The Summer school 2014 on EU and International Business Law was an enriching experience. When I followed this course I was an Economics master student, and even though my erasmus in European Studies had widened my knowledge about this field, the summer school that is organised at the Saint-Louis University gave me some very good foundations of European Studies. Moreover, the lectures I attented was of high quality and the several visits that were planned allowed us to concretely see the functionning of the EU. I would recommend this programme to any student willing to strengthen his or her knowledge about both the EU and the US law, and who likes to be in an international environment."

 

Aurélie Duchateau, Belgian, Alumni 2014, Trainee at the permanent representation of Belgium to the EU, Brussels (Belgium)

 

"The Summer School was an unforgettable experience. It is very well organized, one has the opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and one has the opportunity to travel around europe easily. The pogramme of lectures is of very high quality and the invited speakers are from well known universities and law firms. I would recommend this Summer School to everyone who is interested in International trade law and who wants to enlighten his/her summer."

 

Alvaro Vidal Hernandez, Spanish, Alumni 2013, 3rd year LLB student in Comparative law and Common law at IE University (Madrid)

 

"The European and International Business Law summer program offered at Saint-Louis University is a unique experience to get a more practical view of the functioning of the European Union and at the same time, it gives you the chance to compare it with US Law and getting to know how common and continental law differs. All this, in an international atmosphere,where students come from different parts of the world and professors are full time workers at either the EU institutions or as lawyers in the US".

 

Thomas Linard de Guertechin, Belgian, Alumni 2013, 1st year Master of Laws student at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium)

 

"This summer school is, according to me, the most interesting and impressive thing that I have made during my bachelor's degree. I have particularly appreciated the level of the several lecturers, the variety of the subjects and the fact that many lectures took place in some famous law firm, where it was possible to meet lot of lawyers, teachers and various members of European institutions. I have made several contacts with some students from all over the world. If you want to work in business in an European level, this summer program is a must-do".

 

Ségolène Regout, Belgian, Alumni 2011, 2nd year Master of Laws student at the Katolieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

 

"The Summer School European and International Business Law 2011 was a valuable and extremely interesting experience. I was only 20 when I followed the program but it was extremely rewarding. It helped me to get two internships (one in the US (in a law firm) and one in Geneva working for the Belgian Representation at the UN and WTO (thanks to the experience at the Graduate Institute). The level of the lectures was very high and the speakers amazing. We were able to go to different law firms and meet employees. It made me realise the importance of business and commercial law. I am actually writing my thesis about the WTO. In conclusion, I would totally recommend this program".