Nottingham Law School is strengthening its links with European legal academics following the signing of a deal with a leading Dutch university.
The move will mean that students from the Law School, part of Nottingham Trent University, will have the chance to study for an LLM, Masters in European Law at Radboud University, Nijmegen, in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile students from Nijmegen will be taught in Nottingham with successful candidates being awarded an LLB (Hons) degree in Legal Studies.
Students starting their studies this September (2013) will be eligible for the validated course and the first candidates will be travelling to Radboud University in the Eastern Netherlands city by 2015.
The deal was signed during a special ceremony at Nottingham Trent University.
Vice-chancellor Professor Neil Gorman was joined by Nottingham Law School dean, Professor Andrea Nollent, and officials from Radboud University including rector magnificus Professor Bas Kortmann, dean of the Radboud Law Faculty, Professor Paul Bovend'Eert and Arjen Peters, director of the law school in Nijmegen
Nottingham Law School principal lecturer Martin Millward, who designed the structure of the programme and piloted it successfully through all stages of validation said: “This new dual degree programme will provide wonderful opportunities for students from both Nottingham and Nijmegen and marks the beginning of what I’m sure will be a very successful relationship between the respective law schools.”
John Tingle, head of international development at Nottingham Law School, who has been instrumental in arranging the link-up, said: “The two Law Schools have very similar ideologies. While we are both underpinned by legal research, many of our academics are also legal practitioners.
“UK lawyers need to know about European Law at a practical level because of the UK’s role in the European Union. They need to know about International Human Rights because of the impact of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
“You cannot practice effectively as a lawyer today – even on the domestic stage – without knowledge of what is going on in Brussels and Strasbourg.”
The move strengthens existing international links, particularly with Radboud University.
The two universities have an existing Erasmus International Student Exchange Agreement and are working on a number of research and curriculum development projects.
Professor Bovend’Eert, dean of the Radboud Law Faculty, said: “Promoting an international environment for students and staff is one of our top priorities. Students will have a wonderful opportunity to study the Common Law legal system at Nottingham Law School and we are very happy to have a group of Nottingham law students each year on our European law programme.
“It was a great pleasure to work with staff at Nottingham Law School on these new double degree programmes. We have established a sustainable partnership and friendship between the two law schools.”
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