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Tag: Maastricht

  • Pratyush Nath Upreti, Advanced Masters, (LL.M) Intellectual Property Law & Knowledge Management at Maastricht University, on pro-bono work and the KIIT Law School experience

    Pratyush Nath Upreti, Advanced Masters, (LL.M) Intellectual Property Law & Knowledge Management at Maastricht University, on pro-bono work and the KIIT Law School experience

    Pratyush studied law from KIIT Law School, Bhuvaneshwar, he graduated in 2013. Being a citizen of Nepal, he chose India to pursue B.Sc. LLB. After the successful completion of his bachelors, he is pursuing Advance Masters (LLM) in Intellectual Property Law & Knowledge Management from Maastricht University, Netherlands on a scholarship. He had interned extensively through the years of law school and published nearly 30 articles in The Kathmandu Post. In this exclusive conversation with Pratyush, we talk about:

    • Education and experience at KIIT Law School.
    • Selecting the appropriate publishing companies for his journals.
    • Interning at Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), Bangkok,
    • Being a Member of New IP Lawyer’s, a wing of School of Law and its research centre called SCule (Science,Culture and the Law) under the University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
    • Undergoing exchange programmes at The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market of European Union (OHIM), Spain
    • Pursuing LLM in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Managment from Maastricht University, Netherlands.

     

    Tell us a bit about your pre-college life. How did you choose to study law that too in India? Did you have lawyers in your family?

    I come from the Biratnagar, city of influential leaders in Nepalese politics. Being the youngest child of my parents, I began the journey of my student life by following my elder sister’s footsteps to one of the most prestigious schools of the city. In school, my inquisitive mind as a young student ran into almost all nooks and corners of the colorful life. I was not a great student but lived my life into the realm of education.

    When I finished my intermediary, civil war in the form of a Maoist insurgency ended with the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement and formation of a Constituent Assembly. Nepal was in transitional phase(still in transitional phase), we were taking the first step towards building a constitutional democracy. During the phase, many friends opted to go abroad for higher studies which were never an option for me.

    When I decided to peruse law there were very limited option in Nepal. Moreover, India is also not far away from Nepal, it was a convenient option. I was also attracted by the unique integration of law and science. So, I decided to join the B.Sc.LLB(Hons) stream in KIIT Law school, a newly born law school with a colourful dream, like that of mine of marking a mark of its own in the highly competitive legal arena.

    Yes, I belong from a legal background, my father is a senior advocate practicing in Nepal and my grandfather served as a Judge of Nepal. I think I represent the third generation of lawyers in my family.

     

    While in KIIT Law School you selected B.Sc. LL.B as your stream. What would be your advice to law aspirants about choosing a stream? Did it give you an edge over B.A. LL.B graduates? Does it have a long lasting effect?

    In recent years, legal education has rapidly changed. The unique integration of law and science is an attractive career option. The law and science offer plenty of opportunity in the sector of forensic science and Intellectual property law. During my short working experience, I have felt that there are high demands for lawyers with scientific/technological backgrounds. Anyone interested in B.Sc.LL.B should keep in mind the course structure of the college offering the course. Make sure they have good science faculty and if you are interested in taking biotechnology as a major then well-equipped laboratory is important. I was the first batch of B.Sc.LL.B(Hons) course in my college, but I had some laboratory works. Fortunately, My university had separate well-equipped Biotechnology faculty which was an additional advantage for me. Since, there is not much of crowd of lawyers with knowledge of both the field, a B.Sc.LL.B(Hons) graduates do have an advantage from a job perspective.

     

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    If I were a young law student who never wrote an article, how would you advise me to get started given that you yourself wrote a lot?

    To be honest, I never pre-planned to write an article. Most of my articles are the outcome of my project which I did during law school or internship. Choosing a topic which is contemporary is important for publishing an article. I suggest law student to identify contemporary legal issues and continue as a project for the course. If you do your research honestly, then certainly you will end up publishing.

     

    How would you select a specific journal and approach them for publication? What are the things you look for in a journal before sending them your article for publication? Can you tell us the steps involved in researching and structuring an academic paper?

    Selecting a Journal is not easy, there are two important things, which I look before sending an article. Firstly, the journal timeline for a review process. When you research honestly, you get ambitious about the project and really want to publish in good Journal. But sometimes, a long review process of the journal is really frustrating. There were few Journals who replied me after a 15 months. It was really painful! But as a student you should never be discouraged by rejection or late replies. Before sending your article, it is important to know about the Journal well( just email and ask about timeline for review). Secondly, I see the focus area of a journalif your topic matches those area’s or related contemporary issues than your acceptance chances are really high.

    There are generally accepted ways of researching and structuring the paper. For me research is important, I try to gather as much of information from various sources like books, Journal, reports, internet etc. Once I gathered information, I tried to find contemporary issues/problem involved and put my thoughts in a logical way and roughly draft a research outline which will help not to divert from focus area. For any writing may be a newspaper or academic journal structuring is important. Your writing must reflect you thoughts and every section need to clearly link. Mostly importantly for academic writing reference/bibliography/footnote is very important. Generally, accepted standard structure includes Abstract, Introduction, research question, discussion (arguments advanced), conclusion/recommendation and bibliography.

     

    How did you plan your internships and how did you go about applying for these internships?

    (Pratyush has interned quite extensively through his 5 years at law school. Some noteworthy mentions are Anand and Anand; Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), Bangkok, Thailand; Singh & Associates, Advocates and Solicitors; Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Attorney At-Law, Philippines; The Ministry of Home Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture, New Delhi, India; Enviro Legal Defense Firm, New Delhi, India and other places as well.)

    Early planning is very important to secure a good internship. Mostly, I planned my internship at least a 6-8 months before. This is important because, you can never depend on one organization or law firm. You need to file a several application. The application process depends completely on the institute which you intend to apply. Most of the organizations where I interned had similar recruitment pattern, I just applied online with a short cover letter and resume.

     

    What kind of work did you typically find yourself doing as an intern? Did your experiences vary significantly with the internships?

    I had a diverse internship experience. My task and workload as intern completely depend upon where I was interning. In law firms, I had long working hours and mostly I ended up doing a lot of draftings, research on several issues and assisted litigation team. Some of the research which I did in the law firm was published in law firms in-house Journals. On the other hand, in an organization you mostly do research work, they will make you involved in the ongoing project. During my school, I was fortunate to do two international internships. First, at Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Attorney-At-Law, one of the biggest law firms in Philippines where I was involved in commercial and Intellectual property division. I mostly assisted the team with the prosecution of trademark, patent registration, review of technology transfer arrangement, franchise and distributorship agreement etc. Second, at ANFREL, I researched on several electoral issues and assisted drafting team of ‘Bangkok Declaration of Free & Fair Elections’. During my stay, I also got an opportunity to observe the election. It was a great learning experience.

     

    What comprised your work profile as a Legal Researcher at the “Forum for Protection of Public Interest (Pro-Public)”? Please share with our readers.

    Forum for Protection of Public Interest (Pro-Public) is one of the reputed organization in Nepal. It has a long history of contribution to socio-legal development in Nepal. Pro-public gives an opportunity a law student to voluntarily associate with the organization in different capacities. I was fortunate enough to associate myself with the organization during law school.

    During my undergraduate, I had an experience of research work. At law school, I worked as research assistant in University Grant Commission (UGC) main project titled “ Use of Forensic Science in Criminal Justice System: A futuristic Project”. Similarly, I did some research work for Cobalt Business Counsel Professional Corporation, Ontario, Canada for few months. Furthermore, my research internship with Enviro Legal Defense Foundation, Nepal Law Commission, and The Ministry of Home Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture, was largely based on legal issued related to Nepal. Maybe this gave me an edge than other candidates during the recruitment process.

     

    Thereafter, you have joined Asian Network for Free & Fair Elections (ANFREL) as their Legal /Liaison Officer. Do you think, it became easier to get appointed because you have interned earlier at ANFREL?

    I don’t think so, internship experience helped me to get the position at ANFREL. ANFREL is a professional organization, they have transparent and heavy recruitment process. I came to know about the vacancy through a Newspaper. I did go through a screening process and had a very long interview by ANFREL Secretariat. Luckily, I got through the interview.

     

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    What kind of work does ANFREL do? Please brief us about the nature of work and responsibilities you were entrusted at ANFREL.

    The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) was established in 1997, as Asia’s first regional network of civil society organizations focused on elections and election monitoring. It strives to promote and support democratization at national and regional levels in Asia. Since it was founded, it has served towards strengthening the democratization of countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Timor and Indonesia.It is one of the most trusted and reliable International Election Observation Group globally. They mostly focus on three area: (i) Election observation (ii) capacity building (iii) campaigns and advocacy.As Legal/Liaison Officer, I was involved in providing legal assistance to the ANFREL Election Management/Observer team. During my tenure, I reviewed national electoral law and assisted the ANFREL team in making Observation manual and reports. In addition, I was also involved in organizing and co-ordinating meeting with several stakeholder, civil societies, and politicians and also observed Constituent Assembly Election. I must say, I had a wonderful experience working with ANFREL. They have great working culture and ethics.

     

    Right after ANFREL, you went for LL.M. Why did you decide to go for higher studies?

    Initially, I wanted go right after my graduation but later decided to take a break of a year. There is no reason as such, I always wanted to continue my studies and then focus in practice.

    How did you go about choosing which college to go to for your LL.M. and did you ever consider Indian colleges? Was it the course or the university which mattered for you?

    I was very clear that I want to do LLM in Intellectual Property Law from abroad. Since, I have spent five years at law school in India so I didn’t want to have similar quality of education. So, never considered Indian colleges. The First thing I did was listing of colleges which offer LLM in intellectual property Law. I applied to three universities; School of Law University of New Hampshire (formerly known as the Franklin Pierce Centre of Intellectual Property) USA, Queen Mary University of London, UK and Maastricht University. I was accepted in all three. I got the scholarship from Franklin Pierce and Maastricht University and opted later.

     

    Tell us about your LL.M year at The Maastricht University, The Netherlands which you are currently pursuing.

    I am doing Advanced Master in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management. It is a unique master program for lawyers, non-lawyers, and those with a degree in science of technology. It is popularly known as IPKM. The Advanced Masters IPKM are fully accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The IPKM MSc is furthermore accredited by the European Patent office (EPO) for EQE remission. In addition, IPKM is a member of the European Intellectual Property Institutes Network (EIPIN) and a founding member of the Pan-European Seal Professional Traineeship Programme.

    Maastricht University is known for the problem-based learning environment where students are personally responsible for their academic education. The IPKM is taught in a very closed group, where the student analyzes the problems through discussions, exchange knowledge. The programme is taught in socratic teaching, often using real-life cases, mock trials and assignment (mind it, it’s not a piece of cake, it will dig you into the subject matter which we need to submit before class). The tasks are further discussed and analyzed along with lectures during class. Basically, it was fun working within a diverse class, amazing study visit. To conclude, IPKM provides a lot of opportunity for learning and networking. If you want to excel in Intellectual property, IPKM is the right choice! Go for it!!

     

    How difficult was studying abroad in terms of finding accommodation, finances and settling in? Are there any scholarships for studying at the Maastricht University?

    Not at all! Particularly, at Maastricht we have a very friendly student service center (SCC) which helps the international student in finding accommodation if needed. I didn’t have a problem as such, I found accommodation through online. There are facebook pages which provide information on accommodation, and most of them are very reliable. Maastricht University do provide Scholarships for International Students which are available on University Official website. I was lucky enough to get a UM High Potential Student Scholarship, which really made my life easy.

     

    How is the faculty & academic schedule (your typical day) at Maastricht? Given your experiences how would you pit Indian students with their foreign contemporaries?

    The faculty staff in the IPKM are very diverse and immensely supportive. It includes professor and practitioner from different jurisdictions, most notably Europe, Asia, and the United States of America. We had a very intense module on US Copyright Law taught by Professor Edward Lee, Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, United States. Similarly, some of module was taught by Professor of Queen mary University, the University of Nottingham, and few class were taken by European Patent attorney etc. In addition, we have series of IPKM expert lectures by practitioner’s which enlighten us on contemporary IP issues. My day starts with waking up, and riding to the library, preparing for classes and assignments. There is always a number of readings for class, which are expected to be discussed in class. Generally, I return very late from the library in fact library is my sanctuary) and then I have to try and cook which I really hate.

     

    Was there time enough for non academic pursuits at Maastricht? How did you find the study-life balance to be?

    Not really! IPKM is very hectic!! (That’s what you expect from competitive course) we get few days off in Christmas. But Maastricht is a beautiful place, there are several things to do besides academic. On balancing study-life, I am the right person to answer that, I always struggle.

    Tell us about the course structure of an Advanced Master (LLM) Intellectual Property Law & Knowledge Management at Maastricht University.

    The Advanced Masters in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management (IPKM ) offered at Maastricht University Faculty of Law are designed to train graduates to work as legal practitioners or management in knowledge-intensive industries and research institutes. The IPKM offers two distinct degrees:

    (1) A LLM degree focusing on comparative IP litigation and/or entrepreneurship, valorization and IP management

    (2) A MSc degree for graduates of science and technology aspiring to become IP specialists, knowledge managers, or patent attorneys.

    The IPKM course is designed in three main pillars

    (1) the common course for both LLM and MSc student are taught together

    (2) mandatory course for both LLM

    (3) mandatory MSc track.

    Some of the intensive modules offered is Intellectual Property in USA and Asia, patent drafting, IP enforcement, Intellectual Property & Life science among others.

    For more information, you can visit

    (http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Faculties/FL/AdvancedMasterInIntellectualPropertyLaw).

     

    How did you benefit from the different programmes you took up after admission to IPKM?

    (Pratyush underwent a couple of training and exchange programmes after he had secured admission at Maastricht University, some of which are Module on Community Trademark at The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market of European Union (OHIM), Spain; Study visit at European Patent Office, Hague, Netherlands; Attending Congress of European Intellectual Property Institute Network (EIPIN) organized at Maastricht University and Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition.)

    IPKM as well designed course which aims to provide plenty of learning opportunities for the student. I had one module in University of Alicante in The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market of European Union (OHIM), Spain, it was a great experience. The modules were taught by European trademark/design examiner and practitioners. Similarly, Congress of European Intellectual Property Institute Network (EIPIN) held at Maastricht and Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition/European Patent Office were two days intense discussion on contemporary Issues of Intellectual property Laws. In both, the event sessions were addressed by scholars from Europe and The United States. Personally, I really enjoyed these events, you get to know emerging issues in IP Law and also an opportunity for networking.

     

    Please share a few words about you being Member of New IP Lawyer’s, a wing of School of Law and its research centre called SCule (Science,Culture and the Law) under the University of Exeter, United Kingdom.

    New IP Lawyer’s is a network of young academic and practitioner in IPR. It is the initiative of Ph.D. student at the University of Exeter and have network representative at the University of Oxford. The network aims to encourage and facilitate discussion of the issues related to IP law both by lawyers and non-lawyers. Recently, the network successfully held the first annual conference: who owns the Arts and Sciences? At the University of Exeter where renowned academic like Professor Lionel Bently(University of Cambridge), Professor Charlotte Waelde among others were key speakers. The Newtork is relatively new, in a very less time it has received overwhelming support. New IP Lawyer’s is also aiming to organise seminar series and several academic event. Stayed tuned at http://newiplawyers.wix.com/newiplawyers

     

    Is writing is your hobby? How do you manage to write for newspaper on various issues beside your LL.M studies and other engagements?

    (Pratyush has published approximately 30 newspaper articles till date at The Kathmandu Post& among others, on various issues.)

    I enjoy writing it connects me with readers. I never took writing as a hobby, I started writing during my undergraduate. When I was studying in India, I always wanted to involve in socio-legal issues and give my opinion on such matters. The newspaper was the perfect forum to share my thoughts and involved in several issues happening in Nepal. After law school, I continued writing and still I regularly contribute on socio-legal/political issues in Nepal. It makes me happy when readers send feedback or point of disagreement on issues and it also helps to improve writing. I never take writing as a burden, whenever we come across interesting issues we always have an opinion, just that I gather my thoughts and write. Most important, writing gives me a lot of pleasure; I feel a sense of freedom.

     

    What is your responsibility as a student member of Maastricht University for European Intellectual Property Institutes Network (EIPIN).

    IPKM is a member of the European Intellectual Property Institutes Network (EIPIN). Every year few students are selected to represent as a student member of EIPIN where we get the opportunity to attend EIPIN congress and participate in the group projects. I was assigned with team project which consists of five student from Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute(University of London), Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC), Centre for International Intellectual Property (CEIPI) University of Strasbourg, Magister Lvcentinvs (University of Alicante). My team has already submitted our research project titled “Permitting Transformative Use and Copyright Law: The Case of Parody as Innovation” to EIPIN committee. It had a great time working together with fellow students.

     

    What are your future plans? How do you plan to use the experience and the knowledge gathered at Maastricht?

    I successfully defended my thesis, just winding up my course at Maastricht. Most probably I will be returning home in August, and practice litigation. Although, Intellectual Property regime is not very well developed back home which makes it more challenging to take IP as a career but again it give an opportunity to participate in the process to develop the field. The experience and knowledge gathered at Maastricht surely have given me in-depth knowledge about global IP practice which will surely help in instituting policy reform in Nepal.

     

    And any word of advice for all the young law students out there?

    Learn, question and make the most out of the law school. Make sure you enjoy your student life as well. Good luck!

     

  • Jaya Godhwani, LL.M. candidate, Maastricht University,on pursuing forensic science, and her internship experience

    Jaya Godhwani, LL.M. candidate, Maastricht University,on pursuing forensic science, and her internship experience

    Jaya Godhwani pursued a science and law combination degree from KIIT, Bhubaneshwar, batch of 2013. She is currently pursuing a masters in law from Maastricht University, specialising in forensics, criminology, and law.

    In this interview, we speak to her about:

    • Interning with Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani
    • Critical details for a career in Forensic Science
    • Her LL.M. experience from the Maastricht University.

     

    Tell us about your life before college. Did you have lawyers in your family?

    Ah! I feel nostalgic. Well, when I was a child the world seemed to be a place of joy and happiness to me. There was nothing to worry about. I am the youngest child in my family. Since my childhood years I have been very active. My mom and my school teachers say that since my schooldays I have leadership qualities in me. I was determined and very hard working during those days as I am now. I was always keen to participate in the debates, recitations, and other extracurricular activities. I represented my school in many inter school debate competitions and brought laurels to my school by winning few of the competitions.

    My whole family is into business. I was the first child to step out of my hometown to do something different. Subsequently, I inspired my other young family members towards this profession. My younger cousin is pursuing BB.A. LL.B. from KIIT University.

     

    Why did you decide to study Law?

    I still remember this one instance in my life very clearly when I made up my mind to study and pursue my career in law.  In 2006, when I just cleared my 10th Standard, I had to fill a form in which I had to choose my subjects for class XI. I never wanted to choose Science/Biology because I saw my elder sister working day in and out on those bulky botany and zoology files, and the dissections which she used to do. On the 7th of May 2006, my dad made me read an interview of a girl who did her BSc. LL.B. from NLU Jodhpur and Prof. NL Mitra’s view on B.Sc. LL.B. and its booming career in India. Second page of the newspaper had some information about Forensic Science and its relation with law, how it’s used in courtrooms, and the dilemma faced by judges with respect to its admissibility in the cases. Those newspaper articles sparked my interest, as it was really challenging to work and gain in depth knowledge in those dimensions of legal sphere which were untouched, unheard and fascinating. In those fractions of a second I just opted for Science/Biology as a subject for my Class XI. It was then, in 2006, I decided to pursue B.Sc. LL.B.

     

    What have your internship experience been like?

    When a student enters a law school he/she is not much aware about different sectors related to law. He/she learns from their seniors and teachers how to play the cards and learn the rules of the game slowly. Same thing happened to me. When I entered the law school I had no idea about internships and how to get them. My college formed a placement and internship cell in 2008 when I entered the law school. I was chosen as a member of that placement and internship cell. It was then I learned from my mentors about internships in law firms and in the litigation sectors. I wanted to explore both areas so as to decide for myself where I wish to head.  Therefore, all the decisions with respect to internships were taken very rationally and cautiously because I was warned since day one that these things play a vital role in framing Resume. So after talking to many people around, and most importantly not forgetting my area of interest, I decided my internships majorly in litigation sector.

     

    jaya-godhwani2How did you get the opportunity to intern at the Chamber of Senior Advocate Mr. Ram Jethmalani?

    Grabbing an internship under eminent criminal lawyer Mr Ram Jethmalani was my dream since 2006, when I decided to pursue my career in B.Sc. LL.B. You can say it was like a miracle for me to get internship under him. He used to come to our college to deliver lectures during the International Law Weeks. During one of his visit to my college, I approached him personally and spoke to him about my interest in Forensic Law and expressed my desire to intern under him. He asked me a few questions related to Forensic Law, and personally offered me an internship. My happiness knew no boundaries; I wasn’t able to believe that I actually laid my hands on my dream internship in the third year of my law school.

     

    Our readers would be keen to know how you went about securing your internships.

    The first rule taught to me by my dad and teachers was never narrow down your scope. A lawyer should know everything. So I worked in that direction. My faculty and seniors helped me build my blocks. I chose to explore NGOs, Law Firms, and Sole Practitioners to observe closely their working patterns. Apart from Forensics, I gradually developed an interest in Intellectual Property Rights due to Professor. Dr Tabrez Ahmed, one of the most intellectual teachers in the IPR Field.  Therefore, under his guidance I started targeting all the top firms which worked in those sectors, because I knew, I would willingly give my best in those internships. After securing enough of good internships, my other teacher Mr. Kumar Kartikeya and Mrs. Parimita Dash pushed me to explore the world of mooting, because according to them, a law student should also know how it feels to plead before the Honourable judges.

    The most important thing according to me, which I kept in mind while framing my CV, was maintaining an adequate balance in all the areas, i.e. internships, moot courts, publications and extra-curricular activities.

     

    How did you develop an interest in Forensic Sciences?

    Since my early years in school, I loved to take up challenges. After reading an article in the newspaper which talked about forensic science and related issues confronted by Indian Judiciary System, which inspired me to opt forensic law. DNA test, Fingerprints, Saliva test and other areas of forensics, sounded fascinating and interesting. The decision to pursue my career in this particular field, strengthened when I interned in the Directorate of Forensic Science.

    Forensic Law is at a very nascent stage in India.  Therefore, according to me, many lawyers are not much aware about this particular field of law. As far as my knowledge goes, I don’t think so many people pursue this course.

     

    Tell us your experience interning at the Directorate of Forensic Sciences.

    Indeed, it was amazing experience. I worked in the Ballistic department, where I examined the firearms so as to determine the nature and type of weapons used in the crime, linked fired bullets/ cartridges with the suspect weapons.

    I also worked in the Chemistry department, where I was assisting an expert in a dowry death case, in which I examined the burnt clothe samples. Different questions, like whether kerosene or something else was used to burn the lady, and I also learnt about  chemical  analysis of exhibits such as the viscera, biological fluids, trap cases, dowry death cases, acids and various others exhibits referred by the Investigating Agencies. Viscera including biological fluids are examined for poison detection in cases of homicides and suicides.

    Finally, I along with my other co interns made a report on the status of forensic laboratories in India.

    Overall, my experience at forensic laboratory was eye opening, as I learnt how it gave new dimensions to criminal justice system, by unfolding the truth.

     

    What is the procedure for an internship application with the Directorate of Forensic Sciences?

    I raise my serious doubt if one can get an internship directly under Directorate of Forensic Science. There are no specific guidelines regarding framing of application for this internship. In my case, University Grants Commission (UGC) was looking for motivated students, in 2009, to work and prepare a report on the current status of Forensic Science Laboratories in India. So, some of the students from my course applied and we were fortunate enough to get an opportunity to work for that research project. As a result, I was offered an internship in the Directorate of Forensic Sciences.

     

    Are there any opportunities to study the subjects you chose to specialize in your LL.M. in India?

    Well, NLU, Jodhpur offers an LL.M. in Forensics, Criminology and Law in India and some of the Government Institutes also offer the same course. After working in the Directorate of Forensic Science and after learning that, Scandinavian countries are the world’s best when it comes to forensic law, which motivated me to study abroad.

    Additionally, the lack of knowledge about the subject in Indian legal sphere intrigued me more towards foreign university. I really wanted to explore how they are different from us and what we have to do to come to their level. Moreover, I wanted to know the reason, why serious crime rate is so less in these countries. I found out that the Netherlands is one of the countries in the world which has the lowest crime rate because of their stringent forensic law and use of advanced technology to curb the crime. This urge of knowing and learning things brought me to the Netherlands to study Forensics, Criminology and Law.

     

    How did you go about choosing which college to go to for your LL.M. and did you ever consider Indian colleges?

    It is one of the most important decisions in one’s life to choose the right college and program for your higher studies. If you don’t do that properly, then you don’t enjoy it and you end up in no men’s land.

    As the trend goes, I spoke to my seniors who already got themselves enrolled in Master’s Programs. I think they are the best persons to guide you about these things because they have a pretty fair idea what went wrong with their applications or what better they could have done. So, I started hunting for colleges on www.LLMguide.com which suited my area of interest and shortlisted few of them. I made few friends from abroad when I represented my college in International Youth Forum 2011 in Russia; I spoke to them about those universities which were there in their hometown. Furthermore, I also looked at the faculties, the structure, the library and the guest lecturers of the universities. I got in touch with the alumni of those universities through social network sites, and inquired about relevant information and then shortlisted universities. Frankly speaking, I never wanted to pursue LL.M. from India so I never considered any Indian college as an option for my post graduate studies.

    For me, Maastricht University was the best as it met all my desired criteria. Of course, like for every student, the university and course both matter, same goes for me. After learning that Maastricht University is ranked 6th among the top 100 best young universities worldwide, my decision became more firm to pursue my master from Maastricht. The course offered by them was the best when compared to the other universities in which I applied. It was exactly what I wanted to do. So, the course coupled with University ranking were the factors which played major role in deciding the college.

     

    Are there any scholarships for studying at the Maastricht University?

    I was lucky enough to get a UM High Potential Student Scholarship at Maastricht University. So I didn’t face any difficulties in terms of finances and other things. Regarding accommodation, Maastricht University has their own website where you can easily find accommodation if you have a subscription.

    There are scholarships available for Non-European students at Maastricht University. For further details on the scholarship you can visit the scholarship page at the Maastricht University official website.

     

    How is the faculty & academic schedule at Maastricht?

    I am really impressed by the faculty of the Maastricht University. All the staff members are engaged in highly qualified scientific research programmes and incorporate the findings of their research activities in the different courses.  The connection with real life cases is also enhanced by means of apprenticeships and guest lectures. They are just not into purely academics; some are Directors of Forensic Laboratory, Attorneys, Public Prosecutors, Young Lawyers, and Honourable Judges of the Supreme Court. Therefore, they teach us the applicability of law in practical world. So apart from theoretical insights they emphasise on real world practice.

    The Maastricht University has an innovative problem-based learning approach. It is a student centred instructional method widely used at the University. In all courses we have a tutorial group where we prepare, discuss and formulate learning goals for next session. The student reads and discusses all the literature in the tutorial and the tutor (instructor) acts as a catalyst, rendering help when and where it is required. This allows us to develop an independent approach and enhances our research skills. Moreover, it helps us to think in a new dimension.

    So my typical day starts like any other student in Maastricht. I grab a Bun and head towards university, for my tutorial or lecture. When it is a tutorial session, the whole week I have to study more than 3000-5000 pages to prepare myself for class discussions. Sometimes, I have to submit assignments every week, which make my routine more hectic. Lectures sessions are always pretty relaxed as compared to tutorials as I have fewer pages to read.

    Frankly speaking, personally in India, I didn’t at all prepare anything before the classes, I used to sit and listen what the teacher said. But here things are the other way round, I have to understand the literature first, on my own, and then in tutorials I have to share and express my views and thoughts about the same. If at all my way of thinking is wrong or different than my fellow students, they share his or her view and the tutor at the end use to address in general about the things. So according to me, in India things were pretty relaxed and flexible.

     

    What more do you believe Indian Universities should provide to the students?

    I am really impressed by the teaching method adopted by the Maastricht University. Especially the tutorial sessions, where though we don’t have any background or knowledge about those new subjects, but still we are asked to prepare for tutorial sessions. We then discuss the texts we have read and then it ends as a productive and interactive session. Here, we learn from other fellow students as well as from the teacher. So the learning process which takes place here is unparalleled. I think Indian Universities should also adopt these kind of approaches, which will help students to read, learn and think independently and in a different dimensions altogether.

     

    Was there time enough for non academic pursuits at Maastricht?

    I think one should always learn to balance things in life. In legal profession, you need to have contacts and socialization/networking is the best method. So, yes I do take out time from my busy schedule to hangout with my classmates. In fact, I also organised two Indian Events at Maastricht with the help of the Dutch Municipality. One of the events which I organised was Holi Festival for my foreign classmates. I think it is always good to showcase your culture to your international friends; this is how they will learn about your culture and vice versa.

    So after hectic weekdays we do organise some or the other class events on the weekends, just to relax and know a bit more about each other.

     

    Do you think higher studies are a necessity for a successful legal professional?

    According to me, the more knowledge you gain the better it is for you. I was always determined to go for higher studies. So well, in my case I do agree that it was necessary for me as I wanted to gain in-depth knowledge in such complex areas of law. I do wish to pursue my career in criminal law therefore, I thought a Master Degree would be more helpful as I wished to know how to read and interpret forensic reports in criminal cases.

    My suggestion to law students would be – if you think your area of interest demands more research in that field, then definitely you should go for higher studies. Exploring new dimensions and expanding the horizons is always beneficial. Afterwards, one can always get into good law firms first as a trainee and then as an employee. If not that, then a PhD in law is also good option, as it would be wonderful to have young and bright intellectuals in the academic sphere.

     

    What are your future plans? How do you plan to use the experience and the knowledge gathered at Maastricht?

    I would love to work in a Forensic Science Laboratory in the Netherlands but it is not so easy to get through because of the confidentiality and national security clauses of the country. Meanwhile, I am working on a project related to forensic science, which I hope gets approved by the European Union and the Indian Government, in near future. So by the end of August things will be clearer to me.

    In the future, I would love to come back to my country and practice in the criminal law field.

     

    And any word of advice for all the young law students out there?

    I don’t think so it is possible to do something without dreams. So, dream high and work hard to achieve your goals. Dreams do come true. Make as many contacts as possible during your life journey, you never know when and how somebody can help you to turn your dreams into reality.