Voices from Abroad: Domenico Garofalo
Barcelona (Spain), THEMIS, ESADE
A study abroad experience is one that is truly destined to change your life. This is something you probably won't even realize while you are abroad, but when you are back you will see everything that was familiar to you in a different light, and you will soon understand how important this experience was to you. No matter if you've travelled far and wide or you've never crossed the boundaries of your home country, this is definitely something worth doing. I was lucky enough to study in one of Europe's leading law schools – ESADE – in a truly cosmopolitan city – Barcelona – within one of the best study abroad programs offered to law students at Bocconi – the THEMIS program.
THEMIS is a network made up of five universities: Università Bocconi, ESADE, Freie Universität, Université Paris-XII and Maastricht University, which has recently joined. These universities have established a program designed to match the rising demand for an international education in the legal field. The program requires students to spend a semester abroad in one of the partner universities, to complete an international internship and to participate in the THEMIS program seminar. Students satisfying all academic requirements will receive the international THEMIS certificate, jointly issued by all the partner universities.
My experience as a THEMIS student at ESADE was extremely enriching both culturally and academically. With quite a small and diverse student group, every class offered endless opportunities for debate over differences and similarities in legal systems and cultures. Many courses required students to make presentations in class or to work in groups on case studies. In those cases, professors would prompt a discussion over the content of the presentation or the solution to the case study, and students would usually challenge what was presented in class or the solutions offered by other students. Those activities generally accounted for a part of the final grade.
Classes were taught in English or in Spanish. I chose to take most of my classes in English because I wasn't confident enough about my Spanish proficiency, but I was amazed at how rapidly my Spanish improved. I found Spanish relatively easy to learn for speakers of Romance languages and I saw people come to Barcelona with barely any prior knowledge of the language and leave with a good command of it in daily conversations. The pleasant and extrovert temperament of the Spanish students played a major role in this, as did the one-week intensive Spanish course offered by ESADE to all incoming students. In fact, the small number of students and the friendly atmosphere at ESADE made it quite easy to meet Spanish students, allowing foreign students to enjoy both the possibility to interact with the locals and the international and the multicultural environment of the university and the city. In addition, ESADE boasts an excellent language center offering courses in English, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.
I can't finish my description without a final word on Barcelona. I was absolutely impressed with how many people from all over the world I met. Barcelona attracts an enormous amount of students and workers from North America, Europe, Asia and, of course, South America, just to name a few of the most represented areas. Apart from this, the city has a wonderful climate, excellent sport facilities, an efficient transport system and an exciting nightlife. Barcelona isn't just for fun, though. The city is home to many museums, historic buildings and monuments – from the Museum of Contemporary Art to the numerous works by Gaudí, including Parc Güell and Sagrada Familia – and has an incredible network of public libraries.
In conclusion, I can say my study abroad experience was indeed uniquely special and has had a tremendous impact on my life. It has shaped my mind-set and broadened my horizons in a way that I will never forget. It is really something you need to experience for yourself.