*The Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is closely monitoring the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As the situation continues to change rapidly, our top priority remains the health, safety, and well-being of our community. As a consequence of the virus, the IES moved its teaching fully online in mid March, and is fully prepared to complete the year in this manner.

Our plan for the upcoming academic year 2020-2021 is similar.  In case the currently implemented ‘social distancing protocol’ remains active in Belgium by the end of September 2020, the IES will continue to organise its classes online for the start of the academic year 2020-2021, up until in-person classes are allowed again. This way, we shall ensure that the students can flexibly benefit from our high quality education, whichever the format. We recognise that COVID-19 presents a very serious threat, yet our innovative ways of blended learning will allow us to continue to teach without jeopardising the highest priority of health and safety. If you have any questions on this important issue, don’t hesitate to contact us.

A demanding full-time day programme.*

The LLM in International and European law is a 60 ECTS Advanced Master’s degree obtained in one academic year (from end September until early July). After a solid set of core courses on EU institutional law and judicial protection, EU external relations law, public international and comparative law, human rights and competition law, students can choose to focus on one of 3 specialisation options: Public law; Business law; and Data Law. The Data Law option is a new option that has become available as of the 2018-19 academic year. See below for more details.

 

Compulsory courses

Giving you a broad overview (18 credits) as well as deepening insights (12 credits) into international and EU law, including a short research paper by teams of up to four students.

Optional courses

Specialise in either the public, business, or data law option (12 credits), including practical exercises and a real life case study simulation, for instance in the field of European competition law.

Master's thesis

Finish the Programme with a Masters’ thesis, worth 18 credits. Engage in an exciting intellectual journey on the topic of your choice.

Meet the Team

Our staff is a unique mixture of renowned EU scholars and top level EU and international law practitioners. They combine academic rigour with the latest practical insights in a context of cultural diversity.

Prof.
D. ARTS

Prof.
P. DE HERT

Prof.
Y. DEVUYST

Prof.
R. GOSALBO BONO

Prof.
S. GUTWIRTH

Prof.
F. HOFFMEISTER

Prof.
T. JORIS

Prof. H. KALIMO

Prof.
H. KALIMO

Prof.
M. LAMENSCH

Prof.
K. DE GUCHT

Prof.
A. NUYTS

Prof.
S. OBERTHÜR

Prof.
S. SMIS

Prof.
B. SMULDERS

Prof.
S. VAN THIEL

Prof.
C. KUNER

Prof.
J. VAN HOBOKEN

Prof.
G. GONZÁLEZ FUSTER

 
 

Case Study Tutors

• Bertold BÄR-BOUYSSIÈRE, DLA Piper
• Etienne CLAES, LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae
• Maurits DOLMANS, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
• Rupert ELDERKIN, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
• Porter ELLIOTT, Van Bael & Bellis
• Christoph FEDDERSEN, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
• Kent KARLSSON, Kastell
• Jonas KOPONEN, Linklaters
• Anne MacGREGOR, Cadwalader
• Robert MURRAY, Mischon de Reya
• Robert O’DONOGHUE, Brick Court Chambers
• Mike PULLEN, DLA Piper
• Steven SPINKS, Sidley Austin LLP
• Irina TANASESCU, European Commission
• Bertold THEEUWES, Lorenz
• Filip TUYTSCHAEVER, Contrast. European & Business Law

Emeritus Professors

• Bart DE SCHUTTER, Founding PILC Director, former President of the VUB Institute for European Studies, former VUB Rector and former Dean of the Law Faculty of the VUB
• Jonathan FAULL, Head of Task Force for Strategic Issues related to the UK Referendum
• Edward Patrick LATHAM, European Commission official (retired)
• Bernhard SCHLOH, Legal Adviser at the Council of the European Union (retired)
• Neri SYBESMA-KNOL, Former full-time Professor at the Law Faculty of the VUB, former Director of the Centre for the United Nations law (VUB)