Hanneke van Oeveren

I am half way through a one-year exchange at the University of Groningen Faculty of Law. So far I have had a truly enriching and perception changing experience. My parents are originally from the Netherlands, but I was born and raised in New Zealand. I choose to do my exchange in Groningen because I wanted to connect with my heritage, improve my Dutch language skills and study as many international law courses as possible.

After completing my studies I hope to pursue a career in international commercial law. At RUG I have been able to choose from a wide selection of Bachelor and Masters level courses taught in either English or Dutch. In this way I have been able to deepen my knowledge in many different areas of international law. The law courses taught in English are catered to students coming from diverse legal backgrounds and the teaching staff is encouraging and approachable. Both the university and the city of Groningen itself are very welcoming and accommodating to students from all over the world. My fellow students and friends in Groningen come from all corners of the globe and multi-cultural interaction is part of everyday life here.

I love that Groningen is a true student city. With a bike nothing is far away and it is easy to feel at home simply because you are a student. My exchange has also been enriched by the wide-range of extra-curricular opportunities that are also open to exchange students. I am member of the Gica student choir and have also participated in events organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and the Juridische Faculteitsvereniging (JFV) (Law students association).

I am very glad that I choose to spend my exchange year in Groningen and would not hesitate to recommend the University of Groningen to anyone considering a semester or year abroad.

Hanneke van Oeveren , New Zealand, Exchange Student