Implement your masterplan at UEF Law School

25 Nov 2016

“Finland stood out as a destination in all my options because of its well-respected reputation of having the best academic system in Europe; a fact that I have come to experience first-hand.” – Juliet Ogbodo, UEF Law Student

Since its 2010 inauguration, the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) has earned a reputation for being a global leader in higher education, listing in a number of prestigious annual rankings among what are considered the world’s top universities.

Home to a diverse mix of 15,000 students and 2,800 members of staff, UEF – one of the nation’s largest and most interdisciplinary institutions of higher learning – is proud to harbour an innovative and ambitious community, driven by enthusiasm, creativity, and a clear vision of what each student must achieve to forge a thriving future.

As a dominant force of the global education stage, UEF provides world-class instruction in more than 100 subjects. With its four comprehensive faculties, including the Philosophical Faculty, the Faculty of Science and Forestry, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, UEF is supporting talented students from around the globe in becoming commanders of their fields.

“Pursuing a Master’s degree has always been part of my academic aspirations,” says Juliet Ogbodo, an international UEF Law School student currently working towards her Doctorate in Law. “…Finland stood out to me as a destination in all my options because of its well-respected reputation of having the best academic system in Europe; a fact that I came to experience first-hand.”

A dedicated faction of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, UEF Law School offers unique learning opportunities at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, Licentiate and Doctoral levels. UEF Master’s students choose from two exclusive programmes: Environment, Natural Resources & Climate Change: Master’s Degree Programme in Environmental Policy and Law, and the Master’s Degree Programme in Economic and Resources Law. Most students who choose to pursue these disciplines come to UEF with a definite path for what they hope to achieve already in mind; of what they’d like to develop, change or improve in their home countries and across the world. What UEF seeks to provide via invaluable learning modules like the respected Master’s thesis, is a comprehensive academic ‘roadmap’ to meaningful, positive change in their future careers.

The School provides a wealth of options for aspiring global lawyers like Juliet, specifically catering to the needs of international students through English-taught programmes of study. Not only was Juliet impressed by the sheer detail covered by each programme, she was also taken aback by the School’s general versatility, multiculturalism, and positive student atmosphere.

What was most impressive and encouraging, however, she said, was the attention and clear guidance she received from her lecturers.

“Prior to my application, I had a lot of questions that I needed confirmed answers to, and I forwarded my questions to different lecturers and professors in the department,” she explains. “I was impressed with how quick and patient they were with their response. I felt that there would be an excellent student-teacher working experience with the lecturers at UEF and that was the sealing point for me. I have not been disappointed at all.”

The purpose of the reputed Masters’ at UEF is to combine high-level teaching from experienced industry professionals with vocationally-oriented educational objectives. Through the Master’s thesis – an independent, research-driven project that allows students to develop a real-world, invaluable insight to a topic of their choice – UEF helps students home in on their desired ambition, and instils them with the necessary tools to succeed, no matter what their chosen path.

“My Master’s thesis topic was “Understanding Legal Transplants: A case study of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU) provisions on free movement of goods”,” Juliet continues. “…As an advocate of legal the transplant theory school of thought, who believes that laws can in fact migrate from one zone to another, all in betterment of its recipient system, I was disturbed that there can be unsuccessful legal transplants and was inspired to identify those factors that can hinder and influence legal transplants. Identifying those factors will make future legal transplants more guaranteed.”

This intense and focused study in a topic Juliet is passionate about will help get her foot wedged firmly in the door to the career of her choice. And with the Law School’s leading faculty guiding her every step of the way – from initial concept, to development, through to final execution – Juliet will leave work-ready and willing to unleash her full potential in the real-world of law or further education.

“I think I have a lot to gain from my Master’s thesis exercise,” Juliet explains. “It has already started manifesting as I am to continue my academic pursuit to a Doctorate in UEF. Aside from the professional opportunities that come with it, the experience of being able to do research on something and discover the truth about anything is second-to-none.”

She says academic excellence at UEF goes far beyond just getting good grades. While scoring well is a key achievement in any discipline anywhere, Juliet says at UEF, there’s so much more on offer that makes the entire student experience an unforgettable one.

“The academic structure at UEF is fashioned to challenge you to think outside the box. It changes your approach to a lot of things. Following my academic pursuit at UEF, I have aimed for greater things, to accomplish more.

“I aim to make more impact, to leave a legacy. I have become more ambitious, knowing that, with hard work, everything is within reach.”

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