I participated in the International Criminal Justice course in the VU Summer School 2022, with an Academic Excellence Scholarship.
It was an unforgettable experience and two of the best weeks of my life, because while I had a great academic gain on the subject, I also had tons of fun in Amsterdam, and met amazing people from all over the world.
The International Criminal Justice course is very comprehensive and well designed. It was my first academic contact with the subject, but I did not have a hard time to understand the content, and my classmates came from a variety of backgrounds (law, international relations, political science, and even natural sciences and maths). The lecturers had practical experience in the field and explained the subject with a lot of real examples, making the learning process easier. Different perspectives were provided – we had contact with researchers, lawyers, judges, and prosecutors – what gave us critical views and deep reflections upon the main issues faced in International Criminal Justice. In my opinion, the course highlight was the excursion to The Hague, where we had the opportunity to visit the Kosovo Chambers and the International Criminal Court. At the ICC, we watched part of a real trial and had a lecture from the Court staff. Other moments I enjoyed were the dinner with the course coordinators, and a movie screening followed by a happy hour to discuss our impressions.
Regarding the Summer School in general, I really appreciated the many social activities VU organized, especially the bike tour to Waterland. All the people from VU staff are friendly, easy-going, and always willing to help – they made a lot of effort so we could have the best time.
In 2022, there were 72 different nationalities in the summer school, so the environment was very multicultural and diverse, what I loved. I had a lot of fun and made amazing friends.
Amsterdam is one of my favourite European cities, it is a vibrant place, full of international students and with an enormous variety of activities to do, from museums to local markets and night life.
I definitely recommend the VU Summer School, and if you want any advice or clarification, feel free to contact me through Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianamralmeida/) or email (mariribeiroa@gmail.com).
