The AGS International Public Law Class Visits the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

By Emma Linsenmayer
M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy Candidate, 2019

Dr Elizabeth Milovidov, who teaches the International Public Law (IPL) course at AGS, brought her course to life by organizing a day-trip to Strasbourg for her students to experience IPL first hand in the host city of the Council of Europe. The itinerary included participation in a Council of Europe Conference, as well as visits to several European institutions and international organizations.

The students participated in the Launching Conference on “Building Inclusive Societies through Enriching Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education”, held by the Education Policy Division in the Palace of Europe. The Conference focused on the implications, opportunities and challenges involved in language learning, teaching and assessment. Comprehensively incorporating stakeholders, the Conference discussed updates for the current European framework of reference for languages.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have gone to Strasbourg with the International Law class! This is one of the reasons why I came to AGS- to not only enhance my knowledge in the classroom but to also experience it! I love the fact that we were able to see policy making in person and were able to meet and speak with policy makers about the process itself. Thanks again to Dr. Milovidov and the administration at AGS for making this trip happen!” –Taylor Kelly, Master’s Candidate at AGS Class of 2019

The students were then taken on an exclusive tour of the European institutions by the Programme Manager of the Education Policy Division, Christopher Reynolds. The tour began at the Palace of Europe where Mr Reynolds described the duties of the Committee of Ministers and showed them the Hemicycle debating chamber -- where the Congress of the Council of Europe holds its plenary sessions. The tour continued to the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. Along the way, Mr Reynolds talked about the Council of Europe’s history. One fun fact is the twelve gold stars that make a circle on the Council of Europe flag represent the unity of Europe and the number twelve is the symbol of completeness and perfection! These twelve stars can also be found lining the streets of the several European institutions in Strasbourg.

The tour continued into the city center with Dr Milovidov, who continued to speak to the history and importance of these European and international bodies in international public law. They also had the chance to visit the historic Strasbourg Cathedral and enjoy some traditional Alsatian cuisine.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to see several European institutions, while spending the day with classmates and our professor. While the conference we attended was interesting, my favorite part was walking the streets with them and having Dr Milovidov give us life advice tailored to our own goals and interests. It was a great day!” –Chloe Bingham, Master’s Graduate at AGS Class of 2018

Thanks to Dr Milovidov’s work as a digital children’s rights expert for the Council of Europe since 2013, her students were also graciously welcomed to sit in on a Digital Citizen Education Expert Group meeting in Paris. The Digital Citizen Education is an intergovernmental project launched by the Steering Committee for Educational Policy and Practice (CDPPE) of the Council of Europe in 2016.

The students would like to thank their professor, Dr. Milovidov and the Council of Europe’s Education Policy Division for such a meaningful experience, as well as the AGS Administration.

“As graduate students studying international relations, these are the experiences that will be engrained in us forever. The opportunity to visit the very organizations that we study everyday was very powerful. But above all, it is the professors like Dr Milovidov, who inspire us through their professional careers and passions – so thank you for this incredible experience.” –Emma Linsenmayer, Master’s Candidate at AGS Class of 2019