Testimonials

Different hats
“I have always had different positions within Erasmus School of Law. Currently, I am the programme director of the double degree Toga aan de Maas, I am preparing for the defence of my doctoral thesis on Penal Tax Law, I am working on the completion of the courses of Procedural Tax Law in the bachelor and master and the course Legal Academic Skills for tax law students. In addition, I contribute to research into a law aiming to prevent money laundering and the funding of terrorism, and I also contribute to a criminal evaluation of the advisory committee for those serving a death sentence. I also have an on-call contract with an office that offers tax opinions. Every week is different for me, which is nice.”

Not made for the tax consulting practice
“After finishing my two masters in Maastricht, I briefly worked at a big four company, but that did not suit me. After signing a contract at a law firm, I bumped into a vacancy for a teaching job at Erasmus School of Law, so eventually I never started at that firm. At Maastricht University, master students with good grades can tutor focus groups within Problem-Based Learning (PBL), so I already had some experience with the teaching form. In Maastricht, I discovered my passion for working at a university and teaching. I also always had the ambition to obtain a doctorate. Therefore, I decided to apply at Erasmus School of Law, and I started working here in 2014 as a tutor, despite the fact that I was about to start at a law firm. I have always had the impression that by working in education you can make a difference for the younger generation. You can help them, which energises me. It energises me more than writing documents for the clients of a tax consultants’ office.

Currently, I am the programme director of the master Toga aan de Maas, so I work closely with the master coordinator Eva Roosendaal. She mainly focuses on student affairs, and I am involved with the content of the programme. For example, I review the curriculum and the admission requirements, but I also maintain relationships with our associate law firms. They offer us masterclasses and provide internships to our students. I evaluate our programme with the associates, and I assess whether they want to stay associated with our education. I also think about the content of the different courses in our master.”

Summoned by the boss
“When Toga aan de Maas was rebooted in 2015, I was asked to apply for the position of coordinator of this programme. I had only worked as a tutor for a year, and because of my involvement with Toga aan de Maas, I met Joost Nan and Paul Mevis, who, together with Maarten Verbrugh and Ruben Houweling, led the way in the reboot of the master. That is how I eventually ended up in the Criminal Law department.

My route to the Tax Law department has been quite remarkable. When I worked as a tutor in Maastricht, I was pretty diligent and made schemes on the blackboard for the students. In Maastricht, this was never an issue, but in Rotterdam, tutors are expected to ask questions instead of giving answers to stimulate the students to study themselves. A couple of my fellow ex-tutors were not too happy about my scheme making, so I was summoned to the supervisor of the tutorpool. Sigrid Hemels, professor of Tax Law at Erasmus School of Law, heard of this, but luckily she did not mind too much and even asked whether I would be interested in obtaining a doctorate within the Tax Law department. So that was a blessing in disguise.”

Surrounded by inspiring and helpful people
 “My promotors Paul Mevis and Guido de Bont inspire me a great deal. They openly talk about their ideas and substantiate those really well and the way they assess my papers; working with them has been a great experience. I mainly write about tax-related issues, but Paul Mevis, Professor of Criminal Law, knows surprisingly much about this subject and asks the right questions to help me in my research. He also revived my enthusiasm for criminal law. Although Guido de Bont is a Professor of Tax Law, he draws my attention to a particular verdict by the Civil department of the Supreme Court from 2006, for example.

Sigrid Hemels inspires me as well. She manages to combine all her different positions and even takes time for the younger colleagues of the Tax Law department. Although she is no longer the head of the department, she is still someone with whom employees like to exchange thoughts about possible career moves or the content of concept papers. She truly takes time for these things. Reinout Kok is another example of such a person. They honestly want to help, no strategies involved. That is admirable.”

Too little hours in a week
“I personally think a lot of PhD candidates find it a challenge to combine research, education and a PhD track, because there is a limited amount of hours in a week. In my own experience, the combination of a full-time teaching job with writing a thesis was doable; writing is, of course a hobby. However, the deadline of my temporary appointment did stress me out. Luckily, I got some extra months to finish my thesis properly. Now I can look forward to my PhD defence on 8 July.”

Wishing for a thousand kids
“Erasmus School of Law is a nice working environment, and I am not all bored with the School just yet. My work has a lot of variety, and I have a wide variety of tasks. I do not have a specific future goal. I judge my ambitions in the moment and I will see where the road takes me. For example, I am currently focussing on my two earlier-mentioned research projects and my PhD defence. After that, I will see what comes my way within the School. As long as I get good opportunities, I am happy here. I do however find it important to keep myself busy with challenging things.

I wholeheartedly hope that I can keep combining my work with my private life in a proper manner. I have a little daughter and would love to have a thousand children, because kids are the greatest thing on earth. At the same time, I really enjoy my job and definitely do not want to say no to great opportunities. I have no clue what the future holds, but combining work and private life, both on an established level, is something I wish to be able to continue to do. Luckily, until now, that is going really well.”

You only live once
“I studied Criminal Law and Tax Law in Maastricht. Eventually I had an amazing study time there, but the first two years were horrible. As a seventeen-year-old I moved from Amersfoort to Maastricht, which was a bit stressful, because I knew no one in Maastricht. I luckily met someone during the introduction who did not like beer either, so we have been friends ever since. In the first two years, I experienced a lot of homesickness. After my classes on Thursday, I went straight home to Amersfoort, and on Monday, I came back as late as possible. I did however get very high grades, because I studied a lot.

After two years, everything changed because of serious medical issues. It made me realise that you only live once and that idea luckily never left me. I am incredibly grateful for everything I have. In my study time, this meant I wanted to do a lot more in addition to studying, so I joined several different associations. My life changed completely; I started going out, seldomly went home and even got some lower grades. During my job interview at the law firm, I was asked about these grades. I told them these grades are the ones I am the proudest of. In the last year of my bachelor and in my masters, I still enjoyed studying and I liked writing my theses.”

Privileged position
“If I could give some advise to students, that would be to remind yourself of the privileged position a student at a university has. On an intellectual and on a financial level, students are very fortunate, which is not the case for everyone. Having fun during your study time is important, but I also enjoyed the lectures. It is important that students realise how inspiring their lecturers can be; that is very special and essentially different from a non-academic institute. I hope – when it is possible again – to see a lot more students on campus and in the lecture halls.”

I still remember when I was in Brazil looking for a master’s program and I found some information about IMARC. It seems like yesterday when I watched Professor René van Swaaningen's video explaining the program. At the same time that I was excited about the idea of the program and its possibilities, mobility paths, topics, etc., I was also a bit afraid that I would be able to handle it. I studied law in Brazil and had been working with criminal justice for many years. Criminology in Brazil has a different approach, and doing research at a high level was something new. In spite of all my concerns, I applied and was accepted into the program, and my journey from South America to Europe began in August 2021.

The core of the program is globalization. During the course, I could indeed live it. Being born in Brazil into an Italian family already gave me an idea of one of the main topics of the master’s: global flows. I could study something that resonates with my personal background and go further. My cohort had students from many different countries, and we could feel that we were in fact living in a globalized master’s program. Our cohort could experience unity and a nice feeling of togetherness. IMARC provides a unique experience among students from different parts of the world and also provides the possibility to connect with students from previous cohorts. There is a sense of community among IMARC students, and we are bonded by the same acronym. During the presentations at the Common Sessions, we could get closer and not only make some professional connections but also valuable friendships.

Over the course, I could learn a lot from highly skilled professors. The program provides a close experience with them, and it is a unique opportunity to learn closely with professionals with deep research experience. As I mentioned in the beginning, I was concerned about my research techniques, and I must say that it was not an easy process to grasp all the techniques and core of scientific research, but once I did it, it was an amazing feeling. As we say in Brazil, the bigger the mountain, the better the view!

I had the privilege to have very competent and patient supervisors, professors Lieselot Bisschop and Karin van Wingerde, from whom I could observe and learn what it takes to make real criminological research. In the IMARC "mountain", I was not alone. Not only my supervisor, but many other professors and the staff were always available to help and give the right guidance. Elisabeth Brein, the program coordinator, is the personification of excellency. She was always available to help and did her best to help the students achieve their goals. Furthermore, being part of Erasmus University is a wonderful experience. Its structure, organization, and reputation are definitely things that will be extremely valuable to your personal formation.

I finish this important chapter in my life called IMARC. When I look back, I am proud of everything. In a globalized world, I traveled to Europe seeking a special commodity (knowledge), and I returned to Brazil bringing much more than I was expecting to. Currently, I am working at Paraná’s state courthouse as chief of staff, and since I arrived here, many opportunities have been offered to me because of my master’s. I am already reaping the benefits of all the hard work and everything that I learned not only in Brazil but also in other countries. During the course, I could make connections with other professionals from other countries, and I will start to develop new projects already using everything that I learned in the program.

IMARC personifies its main theme: globalization. For those who wish to take the journey, be prepared to learn, to study, to communicate, and to leave your comfort zone, but bear in mind one thing: in the end, the view of the mountain is amazing!

My name is Stepan Korostelev, and I recently completed an amazing 1-year LLM program in Commercial and Company Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Prior to pursuing this program, I obtained my law degree and gained professional experience in various legal fields. Motivated by my interest in intellectual property law and the positive feedback I received from Erasmus University alumni, I decided to embark on this academic journey to enhance my legal expertise and broaden my career prospects.

The primary reason I chose this specific master's program was the well-rounded curriculum it offered, with a particular possibility to study Intellectual Property (IP) Law and Capita Selecta Trademark Law course. Erasmus University has a stellar reputation for its law faculty, and their professors specialized in commercial law sphere, which was a perfect fit for my career aspirations.

My experience with the LLM program in Commercial and Company Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam has been nothing short of remarkable. The curriculum was thoughtfully designed, encompassing a diverse range of interactive assignments and activities. Two standout components that truly enriched my learning experience were the internal Moot court on CISG matters and the Oxford Debates in EU Bankruptcy law. These interactive sessions not only allowed me to apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios but also honed my critical thinking, oral advocacy, and legal research skills.

For prospective master students considering the LLM program in Commercial and Company Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam, I would like to offer a few tips based on my experience:

• Embrace the interactive assignments: Make the most of the interactive assignments. These activities provide an excellent platform to apply theoretical knowledge, develop advocacy skills, and engage with peers in intellectual discussions.
• Time management: As the program progresses, the workload can become demanding, particularly during the fourth block when working on the Master thesis alongside studies. I would recommend to the University to interchange the positions of the third and fourth blocks. This change would allow for a more balanced allocation of time and resources, enabling students to effectively manage both their thesis and coursework.
• Engage in social activities: Take advantage of the opportunities to widen your network associated with Erasmus University. Actively participate in networking events, social drinks and legal conferences to connect with professionals in the field of Commercial and Company Law. It is fun and very useful for your perspective career.

In conclusion, my experience with the LLM program in Commercial and Company Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam has been highly rewarding. The curriculum's assignments, coupled with the faculty's expertise and guidance, have enhanced my legal skills and deepened my understanding of law in general and EU law in particular. While I suggest a slight adjustment in the sequencing of the program's blocks, I wholeheartedly recommend this master's program to aspiring students seeking a comprehensive and dynamic education in Commercial and Company Law.

“I am a curious person, I always want to gain more knowledge. When I graduated from high school I just had too many interests. So I went to America to do a liberal arts programme. You just pick and choose the courses you liked. I found out that I generally was not satisfied with superficial questions, but always asked myself: Why is it like it is and why do we think this way? So I chose to study Philosophy.”

One of the more pure academics
“At Amsterdam University I quickly realised that it would be wise to combine Philosophy with some other field of science. I was interested in ethics and politics, the values of society and things like that. Since my father was a lawyer, I knew a little bit about the law. I was interested in questions like ‘How can we organise society in a fair way?’ and ‘What ís justice in fact?’. These questions all come back in law. So in the second year, I created my own double degree programme and started to study Law simultaneously. I wrote my final thesis for Philosophy about property law.”

“After my studies, I was lucky to be offered a PhD position at Tilburg University. I wanted to write a dissertation on the neutrality of the state but was directed in another way. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research was funding a project on Philip Selznick and the role of ideals in law. That sounded interesting too. For this PhD project, I got the opportunity to spend a semester in Berkeley and interview the renowned author Philip Selznick, whose works I was studying. This was a true highlight for me. So you have to have some talent and work hard, but you need a bit of luck as well. I guess I am one of the more pure academics, so I chose to stay in the academic world.”

Look behind the letter of the law
“What actually drives this master, is the idea that if you really want to understand the law, you need more than one perspective. As a student, you develop a broad view of the law by combining theoretical, sociological and methodological perspectives. The education is really close to the research that our scientists do in the research programme Rethinking the Rule of Law.”

“In the first semester, you take the required courses including a skills seminar. After Christmas, you specialise. There are a Legal Theory and Philosophy Track, a Socio-Legal Track and an Individual Track. But whatever your choice may be, this master is basically meant for those who want to look behind the letter of the law. If you want to contribute to urgent questions in society, particularly from a legal perspective, this master trains you really well. Many of our former students have stayed in the academic world, but career opportunities are more ‘practical’ than you might have thought. Indeed, law firms are also interested in sharp thinkers, people with a much broader perspective. And one of my former students is a member of the Dutch Parliament at this moment.”

My name is Ingrid-Ioana Murariu and I am a 23-year-old Romanian. After living in Bucharest, Romania for 16 years and 3 more in Stavanger, Norway, I decided that I wanted to live and study somewhere that would remind me of both. So, after visiting Rotterdam for a few days, I had no doubt that this city will be my next home. Once I finished my Bachelor studies in Psychology and International Law at Erasmus University College, not only was I not ready to leave this beautiful city, but I was certain that pursuing an LL.M. degree is the best next step towards my foreseen legal career.

Given that there are so many opportunities when it comes to an LL.M. programme, one may wonder why choose International and European Union Law. Well, as an international residing in a European Member State, I wanted to study both (actually, I did not know which one of the two to choose). So, when I saw that Erasmus University Rotterdam can give me both, I did not even look further. The way the courses were organized and the fact that you have two months delving into the realm of both International and European Union Law, to then decide which of the two shall be your specialization seemed like a perfect fit for me.

When classes first started, it was quite overwhelming due to the COVID-19 health crisis and the measures imposed that led to the entire programme to be followed online. Not being able to attend live lectures and meet your professors and classmates was challenging and frustrating. However, the professors have done their utmost best so that we get to work together, have class discussions and overall, not feel like we have lost something by not being able to attend in-person. Every class was something new and interesting and we had many opportunities to get to know our future professors and theses supervisors both during guest lectures and organized meeting sessions. Having graduated from the programme, I can confidently say that I have learned more than I would have ever expected to. From case-studies, assignments, mind-maps, moot-court simulations to presentations, exams, blogposts and theses, there is not one area or way of accumulating knowledge and skills that we have not explored during this programme. Nonetheless, commitment and ability to follow deadlines are crucial assets to succeed, which became obvious as soon as we started our first week.

Ultimately, I am grateful for this experience, our professors and my classmates for making this LL.M. programme as exciting and educative as it was. If one does not know which track (and corresponding branches) is the best fit for them, this programme is the perfect place to find that out. Furthermore, if there is one piece of advice that I could give it is: “Unity is strength!”. Finding my people in this programme and pushing, supporting and helping each other was the best decision I have made (and honestly, I could not have done it without them).

If someone would have told me two years ago that I would write a testimonial for Erasmus School of Law, I would have laughed. Why would I? I was an engineering student at Delft University of Technology, not a law student.

However, after my exchange at Berlin University of Technology, I wanted to pursue my ‘newly discovered’ interest in international and European Union law in Rotterdam. It was especially that combination of international and European law that attracted me: these two legal orders are inherently interlinked and for a better understanding of global governance you need knowledge of both of them. Corresponding to Erasmus University’s identity, a wide range of electives on economic integration, human rights, and democracy is offered. This all makes the programme very interdisciplinary and gives you a great deal of freedom to shape the LL.M. to your own interest.

In the first block, you will follow the Research & Writing Skills course. For me, as a non-law student, this was quite an intense module as it is basically a crash course in international and European law. Meanwhile, much attention is paid to developing your legal skills. Some students, like me, had doubts about this programme after taking this module: would this master’s remain so intense? I can only say, do not be put off by this block. This block might be challenging but assures you that you have the basis needed to successfully complete the rest of the programme. And for the first block itself? If you just complete the assignments, participate in classes, and read the literature, you definitely will make it through!

For the remainder of the master’s, you can specialise in either EU or international law. Choosing does however not mean you will stop learn about the other track. Firstly, you will experience in the interactive joint courses in blocks 3 and 5 that the interaction between the two legal orders is never far away. Secondly, it is still possible to participate in courses from the other track. I myself, for instance, took two modules on European competition law and the EU’s economic and monetary union to learn more about international economic law as a whole.

The best thing about this master’s is the people defining it. We often worked in small, multicultural, and interdisciplinary groups. Not only did I learn much from other students having various backgrounds, but we also became very close. Nothing is more important than being able to enjoy Rotterdam together after having studies together all day. The teachers are very open to discussion and have a strong connection with the legal practice, making the lectures interactive and applicable to current cases. Their personal guidance really motivated me to go for the extra mile.

This master’s will give you a wealth of both theoretical and practical knowledge of international and EU law. After graduation, you are not only utmost prepared for the labour market, but you certainly have made new friendships for life as well.

My name is Leon Goh, and I am from Singapore. After spending the first three years of my bachelors at the National University of Singapore, I was given the opportunity to pursue a masters in Maritime and Transport Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam  as part of the Exchange plus programme between the two universities. The choice of maritime law was an easy one as the international nature of shipping has always appealed to me.   

One noteworthy advantage of the exchange plus programme is the fact that the two institutions are in two different legal systems. This affords students the opportunity to consider any given area of law from two different perspectives. In my case, I was able to immerse myself in shipping law and experience it from both the common law and civil law perspective. In addition, as a bonus, both Singapore and Rotterdam are important port cities. Furthermore, owing to the international nature of the classroom which is made up of people hailing from a multitude of jurisdictions, every student brings something new to the discussion.     

Another reason why I decided to pursue not only a masters at Erasmus University Rotterdam, but a maritime law masters, is undoubtably its location. As the largest port in Europe, there is an entire maritime ecosystem here. The curriculum at Erasmus University Rotterdam leverages this major boon and this adds a practical dimension to our studies. As students, we get to experience a wide range of activities from company visits to interactions with real-life practitioners from companies like Van Traa and Boskalis.  

However, the life of a master student is more than just the classroom. Aside from academics, life in Rotterdam certainly did not disappoint. Rotterdam is such an eclectic and international city, there truly is something for everyone. Whether it is experiencing new cultures, meeting other people from around the globe or taking in the new sights and sounds, life in Rotterdam is rarely a dull moment.

When I started at university with my bachelor’s in criminology, the whole concept of research and science was completely new to me. During my bachelor’s, my interests in research started to emerge, and I learned how fun and challenging doing research can be. I followed several courses on methodology, but I had not yet gone through the entire research process of devising, setting up, conducting, and reporting. This is the main reason why I chose for IMARC, because here you have a full year for your research! It allowed me to explore whether a career in research would be something for me.

Besides further exploring your interests for doing research, I think IMARC offers several more important advantages. First of all, because you have a full year for you research (in the second year of IMARC), you can pick a subject that you like and completely delve into that. With the different tracks, IMARC allows you to pick courses at a university you find interesting. When you have a specific job in mind, this can be helpful as well. Moreover, you can combine your research with an internship, which I did at a municipality. There are several partners of IMARC but approaching others on your own initiative might be possible as well. This did not only offer me research experience, but also more work experience and networking opportunities. Finally, another important note is that the programme is completely English taught. Although this can be challenging at first if you are not a native speaker like me, it absolutely helped me to improve my professional English skills, which stills helps me today. Communicating with your student-peers (and maybe even future friends!) from many different countries offers important cultural learning experiences as well.

Taken everything together, IMARC is a challenging, but one-of-its-kind criminological research master programme. It has been of great value for my current research, but even if you seek another kind of job after your master’s, I think the skills you will acquire can be of great value!

After my degree in international relations and human rights law, I was looking for a master’s program to specialize in security issues and to further enhance my research skills. I opted for the IMARC program at Erasmus university, and I am so glad I did! This program was instrumental in expanding my criminological expertise, enhancing my qualitative research skills in policy-related areas (both on the national and European level), and - most importantly - in my growth as an individual.

After spending 2 semesters at Erasmus University in a small and very close group of students, I was able to immerse myself in the practical field of criminology through an internship at the EU for my third semester. At the European Crime Prevention Network in Brussels, I evaluated the stance and attitudes of European policymakers towards AI-governance (think: predictive policing and fraud detection during the toeslagenaffaire) using qualitative methods. This internship provided me with the necessary research and network skills for my future career, but also taught me how to deal with political sensitivity in policy-related research. Doing an internship at the EU had always been a dream of mine – and IMARC moved me forward to fulfill this dream. It almost goes without saying that I enjoyed every minute of it!

After dipping my toes in the world of Brussels, I was confident that I wanted to grow further in the path of EU policymaking. With this motivation, I directly started a traineeship at the European Agency for Fundamental Rights after graduating, the official and only human rights institution of the EU that publishes influential work on how to protect and promote fundamental rights across the EU. I work in the Justice & Security Section, which, for me, has proven to be the perfect blend between human rights and security-related questions situated in a dynamic political field. Going forward, I am looking forward to continue with intriguing academic research within difficult policy settings. It has shown to be not only intellectually stimulating, but as well personally valuable and impactful.

My name is Filippos Batsoulis and I am 26 years old. I have studied my Bachelor of Laws in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and during my bachelor years, I had already decided to specialize in Maritime Law. When I was searching for a relative LLM program, I decided to come to Rotterdam, because it is the biggest port in Europe. The city itself was magnificent as well, with a very nice environment.

This LL.M. program is unique for Erasmus School of Law, because it offers a good opportunity for the students to understand the basics regarding maritime issues in general. The courses are more than interesting and after finishing the master great opportunities are emerging for everybody who wants to work in this industry. While studying I was fascinated by the different courses that were provided, especially the course “Transport Law”, in which the student has the opportunity to learn about the different transportation methods and not merely focus and the sea voyages.

Overall the experience was very nice. The program was competitive, and the courses were taught and examined in several Blocks with two months duration. Except for the final exams, there were also some assignments during each block that were contributing to the final grade. Although the schedule may be overburdened because of the many due dates that must be followed, I believe this is a helpful experience promoting a vibrant and unique way of teaching.

In general, I would suggest to everybody that aspires to study this LLM to study a few hours every day, so that the overall experience ends up in a smooth way. The university will provide you with general guidelines but after that a student should be proactive and try to acquire knowledge through personal and active research. Also, I would suggest to check out the Dutch Courses, because they are very cool, if you are interested to further stay in Rotterdam for work.