Voices from Abroad: Federico Fanelli Pratali

Maastricht (the Netherlands), THEMIS, Maastricht University

Des cription of the experience
One of the main reasons that made me choose Università Bocconi for my degree course was the extremely wide offer of international programs. Among them, Themis stands out, being at the same time one of the most ambitious and prestigious programs. I am aware that modern lawyers need to have international know-how and my motivations were directed towards the possibility of improving my capacity of understanding and speaking current and legal English, associated with the desire to experience life abroad, discovering different cultures within the context of a deeply internationalized environment.

Federico and friends in the vrijthod at Carneval

I applied last year for the program, putting forward my desire to spend a semester abroad in Maastricht, a city in the Netherlands, whose university, although founded in the '70s, is now one of the top educational institutions in Europe. Maastricht University offered me the possibility of studying in an international environment, since most of its Masters programs are taught in English and since nearly 50% of its students are not Dutch nationals. Moreover, the particular method used to teach was really stimulating as I felt I was an active part of my learning process. Maastricht University has developed a system called "Problem Based Learning" (PBL). The semester is divided into two periods, each made of eight weeks, seven for classes and one dedicated to exams. Classes are divided between "Lectures" and "Tutorials", the latter being the core of the system. For the purpose of tutorials, participants in a course are divided in groups with a maximum of 15 students. Students have to be very well prepared and they will be asked to solve cases, which are very similar to those which are dealt with by professionals. I soon realized that this method gave me the possibility of improving my knowledge of the law and, more importantly, how to apply it. I really appreciated the way whereby the latter skill was intended to be developed. I have to say that all my expectations were met by it.

Finally, I want to conclude with a deion of Maastricht and the students' life there. Maastricht is a city with a population of about 120,000 people, situated in Limburg, the most southern province of the Netherlands. Although not very big, it is an affluent city, the seat of important corporations and the place where the European was born. Its city centre is really nice, made of old buildings, crowded with shops, restaurants and bars. Everything is close and can be reached on foot or by bike. I will always remember the pleasure of walking through the vrijthof at least four times a day. I will also remember the sensation I had of being in the heart of Europe. Maastricht borders with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and France. This makes clear why this area is called the Euro-region. As a consequence, thanks to the very good railway network, I had the possibility of exploring many other cities, including Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. About 15,000 people are students. That means that there is the possibility of establishing a wonderful network of friends from all over the world.

Federico at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

I will never forget this experience. It made me grow academically, culturally and personally, giving me the chance to learn to appreciate, not only to tolerate, other cultures. It also allowed me to have a lot of fun!

Influence on academic career
As regards the influence on my academic career, I have to say that everything went well. I took four exams, Advanced European Law, European Environmental Law, European Competition Law and Intellectual Property Law. In addition to a satisfying result, all the courses turned out to be an opportunity to develop new abilities. For instance, I had to write a case note for one course, write two opinions on a legal issue for another one, participate in a moot court and deliver a presentation on a judgment. This meant that I also received a training in speaking in public, defending my legal arguments, working in teams and finishing an unexpected work in a short period of time, in a way which resembles the real professional life. Of course it is just an aperitif of what the real life work will be, but it stimulates and reminds you that you will always have to learn and improve yourself.

Advice for prospective students
The only advice I would like to give is to go and experience student life in Maastricht. The Netherlands are an affluent and very well organized country, where everything functions well. Just do not be late. Dutch people really feel upset and you may find professors who get really angry even for being five minutes late. As regards housing, the university provides for accommodation in several facilities. It has to be booked in advance, right after the confirmation of enrollment. Prices are in line with rent in Milan. Renting a house can be much cheaper, but it is difficult to find it from here. I heard that some people found "surprises". A good solution could be to go there in advance, spend some days in a hostel and look for accommodation. In August the university provides for courses of basic Dutch. It might be useful for the purpose of getting in a closer contact with the local culture, although it is not necessary as nearly the entire Dutch population is capable of speaking English well.