MASTER´S PROGRAMM (LL.M.) IN EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW IM EUROPÄISCHEN UND INTERNATIONALEN RECHT AT SAARLAND UNIVERSITY

www.europainstitut.de

www.europainstitut.de

www.europainstitut.de

About the Europa-Institut

• Founded in 1951

• Located in the border triangle France-Luxembourg-Germany

• More than 5,000 students from all over the world educated in European and International Law

• Five pillars: – Master´s Program in European and International Law

– Research

– International Training Programs

– International Summer and Winter Schools

– Alumni

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The Master´s Program

• One-year bilingual Master’s program “European and International Law”

• Awards the title “Master of Laws (LL.M.)”

• Program in English and/or German

• Five modules with four specialization units

• Each year 75 students from all over the world

• Highly-qualified lecturers prepare for specific demands of the European and international job market

• Regular excursions to European and international institutions

• Soft skills (Moot Courts, Language Courses etc.)

• Many highly successful graduates

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Standard 1: Intended Internationalization

7 internationalization goals were identified:

1. Students of the program gain a thorough and in-depth insight into European and international law

2. Students encounter an international faculty

3. Graduates attain an individual international qualification profile

4. International students study in the program

5. Graduates gain a strong international orientation and are open to other cultures

6. Graduates are excellently prepared for the European and international job market

7. Students are well-versed in international, interdisciplinary academic exchange and are research-oriented and knowledgeable in the area of good research practices

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Goals and objectives within the Master´s Program

• The goals were identified, defined and written down in a paper called “International Qualification Goals”

• A “Catalog of Measures” was set up containing measures of improvement with regard to internationalization within the last three years as well as measures of improvement for the next three years both on program and institutional level

• An “Annual Activity Report ” gives an overview of current developments, research, curricular and other activities, the teaching staff and measures taken with regard to the program and the Europa-Institut in general. Cooperation with stakeholders, summer (and winter) courses, the in-house library, prizes and scholarships, participation in fairs and other events as well as the work of the alumni organization EVER e.V. is presented

• An eighteen-page paper on the current status, possibilities for further development as well as future perspectives were formulated in a so-called “Zukunftspapier”

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Example: Goal 4: International students study in the program

Goal:

• offer a unique cross-cultural environment and a highly international atmosphere

• admit students who are interested in an in-depth education in European and international law and want to pursue an international career

• admit students from a from a great variety of countries to encourage academic, professional and personal exchange and intensify intercultural and international experience and exchange

• offer a platform where students may learn more about each other and the respective cultures

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Example: Goal 4: International students study in the program

Objective: The program welcomes international students

Admission and selection process:

• 75 students with a university degree in law or in a comparable subject from a German or foreign university (80 % law students, about a fifty-fifty ratio of male to female students within one academic year)

• The number of places is limited and candidates are selected on the basis of academic achievements and grade average

• In a second step, a broad diversity with regard to countries of origin is attempted as this ensures internationality and forms the basis for the global network of the program´s graduates

Non-LL.M. students:

Students from within the university may participate in preselected courses of the LL.M. program – ensures a broader diversity and enables the close encounter with German students

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Example: Goal 4: International students study in the program

Objective: The program welcomes international students

• Student body reflect current developments and demands on the European and international job market

– Enlargement of the European Union in 2004, 2007 and 2013 – increasing number of citizens to whom European and international law applies – the Europa-Institut made sure to welcome students from those countries.

– Asian market is becoming increasingly more important in a globalized world with widespread international trade

Cooperation with two Chinese Universities; scholarship program with the Bank of Japan (since 2011); Jawaharlal Nehru Award for international understanding – Dr. Angela Merkel scholarship (DAAD) for students from India (since 2012)

– Rising interest in trade relations with Europe in South America

large increase in applications this year (6 students from South America in the program this year)

– Economic crisis in Europe

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Challenges with regard to implementing the goal

• Student body should reflect current developments and demands on the European and international job market

Welcome more students from South America as an emerging market and the Balkan region as well as Turkey as potential candidates for the EU

• Find ways for funding, i.e. scholarships, cooperation with companies etc.

Better integration of Asian students

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Challenges with regard to implementing the goals in general

• Meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive international LL.M. market

• Impact of limited financial resources of the Saarland as the funding regional authority of Saarland University on the Europa-Institut

• Further look into unique features of the Master´s program

• Adjust the curriculum to the changes in European and international law

• Consideration of new teaching methods and online communication and publication tools

More diversity with regard to the nationality of the Europa-Institut teaching staff

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

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