MDX students around the world visit Council of Europe during virtual field trip
- Wednesday, 18 May 2022
On Monday 16 May 2022, Middlesex University London, Dubai and Mauritius Law and Politics students and staff attended a virtual visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, in line with our annual in-person visit tradition that has been in place since 2015.
The students first met with Judge Darian Pavli, the Judge at the European Court of Human Rights elected in respect of Albania. Judge Pavli provided students with an excellent insight into the workings of the Court and current priorities set in maximising its efficiency. He also discussed current developments within the Council of Europe, focusing on the recent expulsion of Russia, and shared his personal journey into becoming a Judge, providing advice to our students wishing to pursue a similar career pathway.
The visit continued with students being taken on a virtual tour of the Palais De L’Europe building, which houses the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The students were introduced to the work of the organisation and its main bodies and functions.
Finally, the students met Mr Christian Mommers, Advisor to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights for a highly interactive talk and Q&A. Christian specialises in asylum and migration issues and also advises the Commissioner on Human Rights in the UK, among other states. He spoke to students about the current work of the Commissioner, upcoming country visits, and key human rights themes highlighted, in particular in relation to the UK.
The virtual trip was extremely successful, with great interaction by the students and excellent questions posed, with both Judge Pavli and Mr Mommers commenting on the same. All sessions were very well attended.
Although we were not able to be in Strasbourg for yet another year, the virtual tour made this accessible to a larger number of participants, who were able to engage with our esteemed speakers and appreciate the workings of the different Council of Europe institutions. We are hoping to resume the in-person visits from next year and already look forward to meeting with Judge Pavli and Mr Mommers on the ground!
