Ebru’s Study Tour Group at the EU Court of Justice
This past May, I participated in the EU Study Tour and Internship Program. Within three weeks, we traveled across 5 European countries visiting numerous EU institutions including the European Parliament in Brussels, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxemburg, and the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. Furthermore, we attended receptions held by the Canadian Embassy to the Netherlands and the Quebec Delegation to the EU. The study tour provided students with an opportunity to network with public servants and politicians of the EU, apply our academic knowledge, and gain insightful perspectives on key issues such as the CETA Agreement.
Upon the completion of the study tour, I was hired to intern at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in Vienna, Austria. The duration of most internships are 1-2 months, however my contract was prolonged to a total of 6 months. My main project was to assist with the preparation of the annual Fundamental Rights Conference. This year, the conference was in cooperation with the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and its focus was on ‘Combating hate crime in the EU: Giving victims a face and a voice’. My tasks included translating documents from English to French, and drafting working group descriptions, fact-sheets for presenters, and the moderators’ script. In November, I traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania to attend and assist with the conference.
My experience living and working in a European country has allowed me to grow both academically and professionally. With the assistance of EU Study Tour Grant I was relieved from some of the major costs associated with the trip.