Why You Should Always Agree to Take Part in Extracurricular Activities
by Anastasiia Bolshakova, LLM student in the Department of Legal Studies
One of the extracurricular activities that my program offers is participation in Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, a very famous and competitive law competition. At the very beginning of the academic year, four students were chosen to be part of the CEU team and, luckily, I was one of them. We also have a coach and assistant to guide and train the team. This year our coach is Professor Tommaso Soave, and his assistant is PhD student Hesham Abdelgawad.
The competition requires dedicated and significant work from each participant. We have worked together already for six months, having zoom-calls at least once per week and are in constant communication via e-mail as well. There is no other option than to become a dream team during this time.
I have taken part in other moot-courts in the past, but we had no supervision or assistance like we do at CEU. Working together with a professor is an entirely different experience. Professor Soave kindly guides us through the complexity of the moot problem, provides us with his knowledge and gives relevant feedback so that we can grow as professionals.
I am very thankful for the opportunity of being part of this team. Communication with other students and professors during regular classes has a somewhat limited impact. But when you work closely on a long-term project, it really gives you a sense of community and produces better results.
