"I arrived in Rome in February, a time when it’s not just very cold in Russia - you stop a bear passing by to borrow his pelt. Not surprisingly, I was amazed to see camomiles, no snow and those wonderful flowering trees." Yulia Shabalina is a student from Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) who spent last semester at LUISS. During that time, Yulia had a number of personal and professional experiences that she would like to share with current and prospective LUISS students.
"The first thing I saw on the LUISS campus was an abundance of nature decorating stunning architecture. Then, I noticed students playing tabletop games and talking about various activities. I immediately felt that it was the right place to gain knowledge and make new friends. And I did!" What first comes to mind are the friends she made and the people who helped her get acclimated, but she speaks even more enthusiastically about her professors and their courses.
Yulia was truly impressed by the approach of her professors, like professor of Comparative Corporate Governance, Luca Enriques, professor of European Business Law, Nicola de Luca, professor of European Private Law, Silvio Martuccelli, and professor of European Administrative Law, Mario Pilade Chiti. She remembers her professor of Conflict of Law, Alessandra Zanobetti, with particular affection. It was Professor Zanobetti who put her in contact with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), where she did an internship.
"The experience at UNIDROIT helped my future career in arbitration. During my internship, I learned how to fill in the UNILEX database of court decisions and I also translated conference materials from Russian to English." Yulia also participated in conferences, where she had a chance to ask questions and meet people in the field. In fact, this experience had such a positive impact on her that she decided to write her master’s thesis on the “Application of the UNIDROIT Principles in international commercial arbitration."
But her networking opportunities were not limited to UNIDROIT. The advantage for those who, like her, study international relations, is that of interacting with world-renowned academics: "This is the advantage of LUISS, which attracts internationally known scholars and professionals, who can then invite other professors to hold lectures."
Much of her free time during the spring semester was spent in the company of the Erasmus Student Network: "Together we went to small cities in Lazio, like Poggio Mirteto, and did a lot of sightseeing in Rome." According to Yulia, one of the best things about the network is its multinational culture, where students can take part in film discussions and other activities in English, as well as in an array of other languages.
Now counting Italian among her many languages, Yulia heartily recommends her Roman experience to anyone looking to study in Italy. "Studying here is such a unique experience. I hope that all future LUISS students will do their best in their studies and just have a great time!"