Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) - Institute for European Studies (IES)

The University

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is the offshoot of the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) that was founded in 1834 by a Brussels lawyer with Flemish origins, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. He wanted to establish a university that would be independent from the state and the church and where academic freedom would reign.
At the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a total of 9157 students registered for the 2006-2007 academic year, 3% more than the previous year. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel offers 28 bachelor programmes, 60 masters programs and 35 postgraduate masters programs, as well as a teaching diploma. In 2007, the Institute for Post-Academic Training (iPAVUB) offered 55 permanent and post-academic training programs to professionals.
Located in Brussels, the campus is near to various European Institutions and International Organizations. A lot of them can be reached within 15 minutes.

The Law School

The Institute for European Studies is an autonomous department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. It was created in 2001 through an initiative taken by the Flemish Government. It teaches advanced Master programs, and focuses on interdisciplinary research in European Studies, more specifically on the role of the EU in an international setting. Within this scope, it provides academic services to scholars, policy makers and the general public.
The Institute’s central location in Brussels, capital of Europe, makes it a supreme workplace for students and scholars that wish to conduct research in an international and interdisciplinary setting. Benefiting from its location, the IES provides an ideal forum for conferences and workshops on European issues.

The Program

The Master Program was created in 1971 as a postgraduate Master (LL.M.) program in International and Comparative Law. As such, it is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It is still known under the name given at its foundation: Program on International Legal Cooperation (PILC).

Over the years, the focus of the PILC Program has gradually shifted from international and comparative law to international and European law. As a result, the name of the degree has now changed to Master (LL.M.) in International and European Law. This was an understandable development due partly to the increasing importance of the European integration process, which has steadily deepened and widened throughout the years, and partly because of the evident advantage of the Master Program being located in the capital of Europe, in the immediate proximity of the main European institutions.

The overall objective of the Master Program is to provide international students with a broad advanced education in international and European law which prepares them for further (PhD) research and/or private/public employment at international legal and policy making levels.
The educational techniques include, in addition to the more traditional forms of lecturing, inter-active class teaching and joint discussions on case studies and practical cases that may arise in day to day professional life. The student body, a maximum of 40 students, is especially diverse and gathers students from all over the world.

For more details (course description, application forms etc.) please visit the program's website:
www.ies.be/pilc

The Faculty

PILC is internationally recognized for its high caliber teaching staff, bringing to the classroom a multitude of academic qualities and practical experiences. As an internationally oriented Master Program, PILC has always sought a diverse faculty with a mixture of academics and professionals with a broader European and international background. Current PILC Professors include full time academics, practicing lawyers and European Union officials. They bring together the culture of different academic traditions and an exceptionally broad spectrum of practical experience in the fields covered by the Program.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to the program must hold a university law degree and have a sufficient level of English to follow the courses of the program and write a master thesis in English. Students are selected on basis of their academic qualifications as shown by their study results and the recommendations.

Application Procedure

Applications must be sent before 15 February for admission to the program starting in September of the same year. The Academic board will select a maximum number of 40 students and notify them of their admission by 1 April.

Tuition and Fees

From the academic year 2009/2010, tuition fees will amount to 2500 EUR. The fee includes costs for mimeographed materials, casebooks and expenses for study trip.
The program itself offers a limited number of scholarships that take the form of a reduced tuition fee (full or partial waiver).

Financial Aid

The administration of the LL.M. in International and European Law can and will not be able to extend any financial support to a student, arriving at the Program without having secured the minimum amount for living expenses necessary for the full period of the academic year. A number of internal and external scholarships might however be available to the master students. For more information go the the IES website: www.ies.be/pilcrequirements

Location

Brussels is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The Brussels-Capital Region, one of Belgium's three regions, is also a city with 19 boroughs covering 162 km2 and housing a million inhabitants. It is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), although it boasts an astonishing variety of cultures, styles and nationalities.

Being the capital of an expanding Europe, Brussels is an international city like no other. 31% of its population is of foreign origin, and this makes for a unique atmosphere in which cultures interact easily with one another.
English is rapidly becoming an important language in Brussels because of the numerous international political organizations. Language is not a barrier in the capital of Europe. These same differences and contrasts can be found in architectural Brussels' various styles, where you will find Gothic cathedrals and churches Grand Place next to beautiful art nouveau and art deco houses.

The Grand Place (Grote Markt), with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of its Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.

Student Life

A great number of activities (sports, concerts, trips etc.) are available both on campus and in the city itself. The International Relations and Mobility Office of the university, among others, will organize and inform about ongoing activities.

Student housing is available at university. However, due to limited capacities, most students will have to find private housing. The International Relations and Mobility Office of the university assists the students in their search through a housing database. To be registered there, landlord have to fulfill certain criteria. Should problems arise between the tenants and the landlord, the university can and will intervene.

Summer Program

The Institute for European Studies also offers a Summer School which consists of two weeks of intensive study on the European decision-making process, geared towards students that have a background in (international) politics and/or (European) law.

Study one week in the heart of Europe, i.e. at the Institute for European Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where the theory of the decision-making process can be translated into practice: students will get a theoretical framework linked to study visits to the European Commission, the Parliament, and the Council. The one week study in Brussels is complemented with a one week study / workshop at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, in collaboration with the University of Vienna. The Summer School will be concluded with a simulation exercise involving all participants.

Details on the application procedure can be found on the Institute's website.