Voices from Abroad: Davide Lunardi
Maastricht (the Netherlands), THEMIS: Maastricht Law School
One of the reasons why I decided to study at Bocconi is undeniably the number of international opportunities that the university offers its students. Among them, for a student of the School of Law, the THEMIS Program definitely represents the most interesting and, probably, challenging one. The program encompasses three different steps and periods: a semester in one of the partner universities, the THEMIS seminars (organized in a different location every year), and an international internship.
 Davide and friends in front of the Maastricht railway station |
After having considered all available opportunities, I decided that Maastricht University was definitely meeting my expectations and the desire to spend a semester abroad as part of my university career. This is a highly appreciated university at the international level, capable of attracting students from all over the world as several master programs are offered in English. Studying at Maastricht provides a great international experience in Europe: in 2014, Times Higher Education ranked Maastricht 15th among the 100 most international universities in the world. For people interested in International and EU Law, as I am, the university offers limitless opportunities. A number of courses are proposed in this area by outstanding faculty members. Most courses give you the opportunity to take part in seminars, to attend conferences, and to meet experts in the fields you are most interested in.
All these opportunities are valuable not only from a personal point of view, but also from an academic one. At Maastricht, teaching methods (called PBL, Problem Based Learning) allow you to understand how the law is going to be applied. This approach to learning is partially different from the traditional Italian way of teaching; here, indeed, students have a more active role in the learning process. Classes are, in fact, composed of small groups of international students who have to solve legal cases under the supervision of a tutor, by using the materials they have earlier studied by themselves. The methods' added value consists in allowing you to autonomously understand what is useful knowledge in solving a concrete case.
 Davide at the European Commission in Brussels |
The human dimension of the experience at Maastricht is also very important. There, you can meet nice people with whom you will share both long nights of study in the library, and fun moments in your free time. Being at the heart of Europe (and not only from a geographical point of view), living in Maastricht makes it easy to travel all over the continent. Besides the Netherlands, you can visit the near enough Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and France. During weekend travels you will be able to meet new people, to visit amazing places, and also to enjoy different life styles. In addition, the city is really designed at a "student dimension:" you can move from one place to another in the most typical Dutch way, namely by riding your bike. Therefore, you can meet your friends anytime you want, and they become your wide international family.
As a conclusion, I wish to outline how my THEMIS semester at Maastricht University had an incredibly strong impact on my life and on my way of living. I strongly recommend it to all students because it gave me the opportunity to acquire new friends all over the world, it opened my mind, and it offered me an experience I will never forget.