What does International Relations look like beyond the classroom? For MA International Relations student Sierra Stewart, a study trip to Brussels and The Hague provided the opportunity to find out.
Visiting institutions including the European Parliament, the International Criminal Court, and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Sierra gained first-hand insight into the people and organisations shaping international politics, justice, and human rights. Read her reflections below.
Last term, I was given the opportunity to take a class trip to Brussels and The Hague with my professors and classmates where we visited several sites directly connected to our studies.
On our first day, we visited the European Parliament and the Parlamentarium. Here, we learned exactly what happens in the European Union and saw the Hemicycle debating chamber, which is where some of the most important debates in the EU happen.
On our second day, we took an early bus to The Hague and headed to the International Criminal Court where we heard stories from an anonymous former client and learned why the ICC is so important to so many people around the world. The exhibit was beautiful and really opened my eyes to the work being done for individuals and communities – and related to so many of the human rights violations we learnt about this term.
We then made our way to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers where we got to hear about the work being done by the Prosecutor's Office to hear cases brought forward against the Kosovo Liberation Army. Our module on Global Injustice gave us the foundation to understand why some of these cases were being shared. We also met with a current judge and listened to some of their upcoming cases. Now we know more about them, it’ll be really interesting to follow along and find out the results.
On our third and final day, we started with a trip to the House of European History. This was a fun and interactive exhibit created by the EU to show how things have progressed in Europe. After this, we went to the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions where experts provided an insight into roles and responsibilities.
While this trip gave us a lot of insight and new knowledge, and showed us just how many career paths and directions we can take after graduating, we also got to experience the culture and the excitement of Brussels and The Netherlands. We explored city centres, walked through beautiful parks, ate delicious food, stopped for lunch on the beach, and enjoyed some fun and lively pubs. Being in the sunshine was also thoroughly enjoyed after experiencing the cold London weather for so long.
Coming from the United States, where experiences outside of the classroom are very rare, this trip was really exciting for me and opened my eyes to how International Relations is applied in real life. This is just another way that Regent’s enables its students to learn practically and engage with the institutions and issues they study. While this wasn’t my first time in Brussels, I left with a new perspective and outlook on the city, and a deeper understanding of the work being done there.
