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Peak Event report from Brussels

 On the 9th of March, the Belgian delegation (= dr Bruyère, Professor Dhondt, and myself, a third-year Law student at the Free University of Brussels) arrived in Slovenia to attend the peak event that we had been looking forward to since September. Just like me, students from different universities all over Europe have been working on a personal research project on “labour migration”. This broad and relevant subject inspired all of us to come up with the most unexpected topics, which resulted in a highly engaging day.

The remarkable experience left me feeling much wiser than when I first set foot in the beautiful country. The presented topics and the used methodologies varied widely and included Moroccan immigration to France in the 20th century, an oral history of the Guyanese experience in their settlement in the UK, surrogacy as labour, Slovenian straw hat artisans as labour migrants to the rest of Europe and even the US, Chilean refugee after the coup in 1973, Portuguese migration to the US and many others. A lot more interesting topics were discussed, an overview can be found in the program's pdf ( Program )

I too am working on a research project, which is about the Belgian Council of State in its decision-making concerning expulsions. Apart from reading secondary sources, I dived into the state archives to look through files of decisions on expulsions and linked them to the legislation promulgated in the late 19th century (replaced by new legislation in the 20th century). My final objective is to find out how the Council of State's position on expulsions has evolved and how this is reflected in its decision-making practice. The most fascinating part of my research is being able to read into individual cases, as this makes my work come to life. In Ljubljana, I presented a preliminary draft of my findings and now I am working towards my final result, which I hope shall enrich my fellow students as much as it enriched me.

I would like to thank dr Bruyère for her guidance in this project and Professor Dhondt for offering me this opportunity.

I would like to emphasize that Eutopia is so much more than simply working on a project and presenting it to fellow students. Meeting the different intriguing personalities at the faculty of law was the most memorable part of my experience. I’ll never forget the little customs the Slovenian students taught me. I’ll remember what I learned about Ljubljana, the cosy capital of Slovenia. The sightseeing in the city wouldn’t have been the same without Professor Škrubej, who guided us through the most significant parts of the town and ensured we would be fully acquainted with its history. Last but not least: I’ll cherish the connections I made with my fellow European students who happened to be there because of the same shared interest in legal history.

My gratitude to Professor Škrubej and her very welcoming students for making our stay an unforgettable and enlightening experience.

- Lydia Bondarenko

Vrije Universiteit Brussels







 

 

 

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