ERASMUS CHANGING LIVES OPENING MINDS fOR 25 YEARS

Vesna
Rijavec
‘It brought fresh air for everyone, not just for me’
Home institution:
University of Maribor, Slovenia
Field of study/job title:
Law
Year became active in Erasmus:
2000
Vesna Rijavec had long been inspired by the benefits of cross-border collaboration
so, as soon as the opportunity arose, drew on her contacts to set up Erasmus
partnerships between her law faculty in Maribor and universities across Europe.
‘Certain principles that govern law are universal. My view is that you can’t really
understand your national law without comparing it with another law.’
She has taken part in eight teacher exchanges since 2000, to France, Germany,
the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, and has seen multiple impacts on her teaching
and research activities. ‘I got much more self-confident and adapted my lectures
and research with substantially improved new elements.’ As well as the
exchange of materials, collaboration for articles and development of new
research programmes, her efforts have brought excellent results for Maribor students,
some of whom have gone on to work at the European Court of Justice.
And the influx of foreign students to Maribor has also helped her faculty. ‘It helped
push my colleagues into working more actively at an international level, as they
had to adapt courses for Erasmus students. I think it brought fresh air for everyone,
not just for me. Staying closed in a small society is very different from being
open to the world and seeing how things work elsewhere.’
Her visits have also taught her to be proud of her own university. ‘Our facilities
are good in comparison with well known faculties and our professors do
their best. Of course, we are a young university, with just 50 years of history,
but the differences were not as great as I expected.’
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