– A fantastic opportunity to gain a unique specialization
The new Master of Laws (LLM) in EU and EEA Law has started at the Faculty of Law. Eylul Sahin from France and Marcelina Mierzwa from Poland are among the first students on the program.
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Eylul Sahin (23) and Marcelina Mierzwa (26) have just completed the first week of lectures in the brand new LLM program in EU and EEA Law at the Faculty of Law. Both are excited to begin a master’s specialization in European law that aims to give them a quite unique expertise.
Sahin had just finished the first year of a master's degree in human rights in Strasbourg when she was offered a place on the LLM-program at UiB. She says it was an easy decision to put her studies back home in France on a hold:
– I couldn’t miss the chance when I saw the program open up for applicants. This LLM provides me with a fantastic opportunity to gain a specialization that few others have, and hopefully to stand out a little to future employers, says Sahin.
– Fills some gaps
Her polish study friend nods. Mierza has already completed a master’s degree in her home country and says that after working for a few years, she wanted to build on her skills with a useful specialization. The pieces fell perfectly into place for her when the opportunity to take an LLM in Bergen turned up.
– In an international landscape where many take a general law degree, my thought was that this degree covers some specific areas of law and fills some important gaps, that will make me attractive to a wide range of employers, Mierzwa explains.
WANTS TO WORK IN NORWAY: Marcelina Mierzwa (left) and Eylul Sahin hope that the LLM specialization will make them attractive to Norwegian employers.
Want to establish themselves in Norway
Both Sahin and Mierzwa note they have previously been exchange students in Bergen and at The Faculty of Law. This clearly left them with a lasting impression, and after their exchange stays, they both have been thinking about establishing themselves in Norway permanently. Now they hope that the LLM degree in EU and EEA law will give them a boost in that direction.
– Exactly what I want to work with is still an open question. But the ambition is definitely to settle in Norway and use the LLM to get an exciting job here, says Mierzwa.
– In general, I think the LLM program is a great opportunity for international students like us, who might want to come to Norway or Scandinavia to work and live, Sahin adds.
– Educating lawyers society needs
Christian Franklin and Ingrid Barlund are responsible for the study program and have been the driving force in building it. Having worked on it for over ten years, they are thrilled to finally be underway.
– It has been a very long process. However, it takes time to build up an academic environment, a large enough course portfolio, and the administrative apparatus necessary to get such a study program off the ground. It is of course incredibly satisfying to be underway and to see results of all the hard work we have put in, says Franklin.
With it’s clear emphasis on the EEA aspects of EU law, the LLM program is actually the first of its kind in the world. Franklin explains how the program aims to educate lawyers with a specific legal expertise in EEA matters. He underlines that this is a type of expertise that the Norwegian society both sorely needs and now also demands.
– In particular the “NAV scandal” (Norwegian Social Security scandal) showed all of us the necessity for educating lawyers with a strong competence in EU and EEA law. The job market for this expertise is vast, and we expect that the students who finish the LLM will spread out and work in positions in all relevant work sectors – publicly, privately, and in academia, says Franklin.
FINALLY UNDERWAY: Christian Franklin and Ingrid Barlund have worked hard to realize UiB’s first LLM program. Here the new students are being briefed on what lies ahead.
Great interest in the program
The LLM has an international profile where all teaching is conducted in English. Ingrid Barlund thinks the program has great potential to recruit students with a relatively broad range of backgrounds.
– The program is well-suited both for Norwegian students who want to do a specialization in EU and EEA law as the final part of their master’s degree, and for more experienced lawyers who have worked for a while and find it necessary to build on their competence with this sort of expertise. In addition, we hope to have a good proportion of international students in the mix, says Barlund and continues:
– We hope the program will attract a diverse group consisting of talented and dedicated students who are passionate about EU and EEA law.
Around 20 students make up the first class that now has started. Barlund underscores that they are very happy both with the number of applications they received, and with the number of students who ultimately has started the program.
– We are very pleased with our first class and that we managed to fill up the places on the first attempt. I must admit that we were a bit nervous beforehand, so it was a relief to see that the interest in the LLM is so great, Barlund remarks enthusiastically.
– Feel great support
Back with the international students, there is so far only positive feedback to be heard. Sahin and Mierzwa state they are very impressed with the start of the program and how they have been welcomed.
– I have only positive things to say. Everything seems very well organized, and the program is clearly designed to give us great support from start to finish and to integrate us in the academic work environment at the faculty, Sahin comments.
– Yes, I feel that the teachers really want us to be successful. Also, I think the curriculum seems to have a very nice variety with several exciting excursions, different activities, and also a study trip to the heart of the EU coming up, Mierzwa adds.
Hope to inspire their colleagues
The LLM program is closely linked to CENTENOL (Centre on the Europeanisation of Norwegian Law) and the research group for European Law at The Faculty of Law.
Several of the faculty’s other research groups have also stated ambitions of starting their own LLMs. Franklin and Barlund now hope that the European law environment will be an inspiration for these ideas to be realized.
– In that sense, we do feel a bit of pressure for our LLM to be successful. Therefore, it will be important for us to use this first year to gain valuable experiences and keeping a close dialogue with the students about what works and what doesn’t, says Franklin.
Barlund adds:
–This is completely new for us too and to a large degree learning by doing. We are certainly looking forward to what awaits us!
