Reflections on the putative and actual advantages of short term international mobility programmes for Law students

1. Reflections on the putative and actual advantages of short term international mobility programmes for Law students Cherry James, London South Bank University

2. The Context • Assumption: that a period of study abroad is a ‘good thing’ for students and society alike • Jan Figel: European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth: 'Erasmus programmes have given 'Europe' real meaning in hundreds of thousands of families for whom it would otherwise have remained a vague and abstract concept'.   • Much smaller proportion of UK students have a period of study abroad than do other European students - a pity! • Good for CV: valued by employers; students report positively of experience

3. The Law degree in England and Wales • Strictures of QLD • Little room for optional modules • Often students doing at least one compulsory core module for most or all of degree course

4. The Problem • For Law students on QLD hard to fit an Erasmus year or semester abroad into a three year QLD • Pay fees to home institution whilst abroad - costly to add a year, about to become more so

5. A Possible Solution • An Erasmus Intensive Programme - about 250 a year • Alternative to studying at a university in a different EU Member State for a period of three to twelve months • Funded by EU Lifelong Learning Programme • Staff and students from at least three universities from at least three EU MSs • Joint study of particular specialised topic • Short period (ten days to six weeks) - can fit into a university holiday

6. Our Intensive Programme • LSBU and four other universities  • Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, co-ordinating role • Other partners: University of Ulster; University of Pècs, Hungary; Cergy Pontoise University, France • Application for funding for a three year IP

7. Subject matter of IP • Requirements: integrated into the study programme of the participating students • Commission preference for IPs in rapidly evolving and new areas • Also if IP is in a study area where extended period of study abroad not possible

8. Subject choice: EU Criminal and Migration Law • Coming into force of Treaty of Lisbon was imminent: hence very topical. Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Title V ToL • Recognised as area ripe for academic focus: many conferences etc • Not generally addressed in standard EU law courses, anticipated this might change • Six specialist topic areas: Terrorism, Organised Crime, State surveillance, Asylum and immigration, Free movement of persons, Citizenship: one student from each university to each topic

9. EU Commission requirements/aims • Multinational teaching of specialist topics which otherwise not taught much at all • Students and teachers working together in multinational groups, gaining new perspectives on topic • Teaching staff to exchange views on teaching content and new pedagogical approaches and test teaching methods in international classroom

10. Assessment pattern – pre-IP • Variety of innovative assessments • Pre-IP phase at home universities: • Two papers: • 1. Group paper on implementation of AFSJ law and policy in university’s Member State • 2. Individual paper on an issue within student’s specialist topic area. • All uploaded onto IP VLE

11. Assessment pattern – IP phase • Oral presentations on national group papers and individual papers • Moot court in national groups • Group paper prepared in international specialist topic groups, on problem scenario • Oral presentation of group paper findings • Classes during IP: specialist lectures, lectures on national legal and court systems, visits, group paper coaching

12. Assessment in context of IP aims • Diverse – individual and group work both national and international • Mooting • Oral presentations • Learning about AFSJ law and policy and its implementation and operation in different MSs • Erasmus IP aims: ‘...enable students and teachers to work together in multinational groups...and gain new perspectives on the topic being studied’.

13. Effects of participation in IP • Hard to distinguish cause from effect, but – • Some former participants have gone on to longer Erasmus exchanges (semester or year) • Some have gone on to Master’s degrees in international topics at home or abroad • All have said it was very worthwhile, some the ‘most worthwhile’ thing they have done during their degrees • Element of self selection by those with ‘international’ backgrounds/interests • For staff: expect the unexpected!