Maitrayee Jiwak Shiradkar

Studying law by the Amsterdam canals.

Maitrayee Jiwak Shiradkar, our Bachelor of Laws student from India, took her exchange experience global at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

The exchange programme helped me gain a glimpse of Dutch culture, visit famous destinations across the Netherlands, travel to neighbouring European countries. I really enjoyed taking a diverse range of courses, from international commercial arbitration to human rights in private law, offered by the University of Amsterdam. Noticing the cultural differences between Amsterdam, Hong Kong was fascinating, meeting new people was an incredibly exciting experience.

As someone who loves museums, I was delighted to visit different museums across Europe such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican Museums in Vatican City, the Accademia in Florence, Italy. The iconic Amsterdam canals were even present around the University of Amsterdam campus, which truly felt like a dream.

I also participated in a moot court course, which allowed me to explore whether mooting was something I would enjoy participating in during law school. It was really fun to present arguments in front of judges, draft pleadings alongside teammates from different backgrounds. I also visited Utrecht in the Netherlands for a day, had the chance to see the beautiful De Haar Castle, a traditionally built Dutch castle that attracts tourists from all over the world.

Overall, my exchange was truly an unforgettable, amazing experience that I would recommend to everyone I meet.