One good thing about studying in Utrecht is that you will
never be alone in the long and arduous process of learning. When I first came
here and faced the student life, I was amazed by the number of study
associations and about their endless opportunities to get involved. There is
loads of extra-curricular work and activities to do for every type of committed
student. Hence, since the beginning of the year I became part of Urios Study
Association, which is specifically aimed at international and European law
students. Apart from the hard work that members of the study association put into
publishing Curious, the member’s magazine (which is of course open to anyone
interested) and into the prestigious Utrecht Journal of International andEuropean Law, the committees also organize study trips.
One of these was carried out few days earlier in The Hague,
where Urios and Ad Informandum, together with representatives from the University’s
Career Services visited the International Court of Justice and the
International Criminal Tribunal for ex Yugoslavia.
The journey began at the Peace Palace, a stunning building
whose construction was quite an ambitious project. Through the very informative
tour in the visitor’s centre, the participants had the opportunity to delve
into the history behind its design and the aspirations of that generation to
foster peace between the countries. The first stone of the Palace was cast in
the spring of 1907 during the second Peace Conference and every country contributed
with precious materials in its construction. Vases were sent from China and
Hungary, Turkey and Persia donated carpets, wood and stone came from
Scandinavia and Brazil, whereas marble from Italy. It is undoubtedly a
breathtaking architecture and definitely one of the places to visit while in The
Hague. The Peace Palace is the host building of the ICJ and its sessions take
place in the Great Hall of Justice, on the right side of the building. During the
visit, we had the opportunity to speak to one representative from the Court’s
information department, who alongside explaining the main reasons of the
existence of the Court and practical matters related to specific cases, also
gave some tips and tricks for those interested for an internship. Naturally, if
you browse their website online, you’ll also find the relevant information in a
blink.
The visit to ICTY was equally fascinating and informative. From
the horrors of the First World War embedded in the history of the Peace Palace,
we jumped into the fight for freedom of the ex Yugoslavian republics and the
crimes that were committed not so long ago. The welcoming staff of ICTY had
prepared a very interesting documentary for us, of the notorious Prijedor
massacre, known as the ethnic cleansing campaign committed by the Serb political and military leadership mostly
againstBosniak civilians. ICTY
was established in 1993 by the United Nations in response to reports of such
mass atrocities taking place in the former Yugoslavia and it has been quite successful
in its mission, with 161 individuals indicted by the court. Although rumours
that ICTY is going to close down soon are up and running, we got trusted
information from the internal staff that internships are still possible.
And what would be the best end for a day filled with useful information
and history? Surely some “gezellige” networking drinks afterwards in Millers
bar, enjoying bitterballen and of course, beers. Therefore, my other advice if
you ever happen to study in Utrecht is: join a study association! You get to
enrich your experiences, expand the network and make cool study trips!
