Stefan Haeussler Vesco

My name is Stefan Haeussler Vesco; I am an Italian student, raised in Guatemala, Central America. I applied to the specialisation of International Trade Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam around February of last year and ecstatic to find out I was accepted to the programme. I had very high expectations of the city when I first arrived to Rotterdam and fortunately they were met.

Life in Rotterdam is very relaxed and chill, with many parks and lakes to visit around. I cannot say there was once a moment where I felt I could not go on a short bike ride and find a new and beautiful place to visit. Even the most iconic landmarks in the Netherlands are a short train ride from Rotterdam’s central station.

My first few weeks of the master were a bit hectic, the pace and level of the master’s course is very high; Nevertheless, I knew from the start it was not going to be easy. The University is a very well-known academic institution through Europe and it does show by the professionalism the lecturers show during the classes. Not once I was met with a lecturer that could not answer the very hard and confusing questions that other students threw at them, which showed the experience and competence of the professors the University employs.

Students who want to apply for this LL.M. programme must know that they will be met with a great task, which is working and reading every week; whether it be by doing assignments, preparing for finals exams or constantly working on the master’s thesis. This does not mean that there’s no leisure time, there are many activities held either by the University on the campus or by student associations.

I highly recommend registering for a student association, because they not only organise professional meetings with important lawyers and advocates that work in different branches of the law, it is also a great way to meet new people and make friends that will make the journey much more pleasant during the year in Rotterdam.

The master’s degree is very internationally focused. I met people from all over the world and created great friendships along the way. Although social life was cut short for many due to the coronavirus outbreak, student associations held online meeting and games to maintain the morale of the group. Overall it was a great experience with different people, cultures, and ideas.

Last but not least the University has many facilities that make the student experience quite comfortable, even on high stress weeks, such as exams week. The lecturers and faculty are always eager to lend a hand to struggling students and will pay attention to the student’s need even on weekends. I would like to thank Erasmus School of Law for this academic year because, even through the pandemic, they rose up to the occasion to give students the education they deserve.