From 10 to 14 February 2020, four Bachelor and Master Law students from the University of Luxembourg, selected on the basis of their motivation, interest and academic merit, joined a group of students from Roma Tre and Brescia Universities in Italy, Palackeho V Olomouci in the Czech Republic and Romano-Americana University in Romania to take part in the STARS Winter School, organized in part by University of Luxembourg Department of Law Professor, Elise Poillot.
The STARS project, which is short for ‘Skills Transfers in Academia: A Renewed Strategy Enhancing legal clinics in the European Union’, is a 3-year project supported by the Erasmus+ programme aiming to boost students’ knowledge, skills and competences, draw up a set of formalised criteria to evaluate the quality of legal clinics, and promote transnational learning, teaching and training activities in the field of consumer law. It is within this context that both Winter Schools and Summer Schools offer students the opportunity to come together and apply legal clinic methods to cases in consumer law.
The students examine the all angles of the case and exchange their ideas, finding a solution despite diverging opinions. During the 2020 Winter School, students analysed a case involving the enforcement consumer rights in a banking context. For European Private Law LL.M. student, Zulaika Arapbaeva, the legal clinic methods used at the Winter School have many benefits, namely “seeing a different approach to specific legal issues where everyone shared their thoughts.” Ms. Arapbaeva found it interesting that “everyone had a different perception of not only facts but also the interpretation of law.” Ms. Arapbaeva learned how to apply the written law to the case at hand as well as the importance of nuance, personal positions and underlying legal principles.
For Thongkhoon Xayyahong, an Erasmus+ exchange student to Luxembourg from Laos who is currently completing a Bachelor degree and would like to pursue a career in Business Law, the Winter School was an opportunity to “find solutions in difficult and challenge contexts and develop new ideas and put them into practice”. Ms. Xayyahong hopes to share what she has learned with students at her home University.
Both agreed that the Winter School was a good occasion to work on a number of soft skills that are not necessarily taught or practiced in the pure academic environment. Ms. Arapbaeva especially appreciated the opportunity to improve her oral communication skills and with respect to working with a diverse group of people, she cited her heightened ability to “accept and understand the positions that you might not even think about.” Ms. Xayyahong also commented on the skills she gained in cross-cultural communication, “I am more able to cooperate with others from different backgrounds and cultures and I gained more confidence.”
Ms. Arapbaeva expressed regret concerning the short length of the Winter School. She would have liked to have had more time to learn more and also become better acquainted with the other participants. However, she encourages all interested students to apply to the programme. Scholarships covering travel and accommodations are available for participants. Another special programme supported by the STARS project for students willing to experience a Law Clinic experience will take place in Olomouc next July. Students interested in participating will be informed through the LL.M. study programmes administrators.
Pictured, the 2020 Stars Winter School students and professors at Roma Tre University
For more information about the STARS project, visit: http://www.lawstars.eu/