English
WHO ARE WE
We are a German-Italian association founded in 2018 by students of the Italian-German Law degree course (German-Italian Law LL.B/Laurea), a unique collaboration between the University of Cologne and the University of Florence. Our members are students and graduates of this degree course.
The purpose of our association (D.I.R. e. V.) is to support the education and professional training of our members, as well as the development of an international spirit and tolerance towards all cultures.
Our main goal consists in making our degree course known to the outside and expanding our professional networking both in Italy and Germany. With a lot of passion, we commit in the organisation of events and strive to improve cooperation between the two partner universities and between all students of our degree course.
The students of our association are split between Italy and Germany because due to the structure of our course, we spend the first two years of study in Florence, and the second two years in Cologne to complete the Bachelor's degree. The fifth year is then divided, one semester in Cologne for Master's and specialisation examinations, and one semester in Florence to write the thesis for the Italian Univerisity.
This unique path gives all students the possibility at the end of their studies to take the state examination in Italy and Germany (Esame di Stato or Staatsexamen) and to pursue a legal career in both countries.
As association, we are constantly growing in numbers and projects and we try to expand our horizons year after year in order to grow together with our students and all external partners.
WHAT WE DO
Over the past few years, we have been growing and consolidating our external relations. We have started moving to connect with the business environment and are achieving more and more important goals.
Our associates are in fact all students or graduates of the Italian and German Law degree course. As a consequence over the course of five years, our students prepare themselves for two fundamental legal systems: the Italian and German legal systems. The study of these two peculiar legal systems enables them to better understand other legal systems as well, primarily at European level.
In addition, our students also have the great advantage of being able to work with the legal jargon in at least three different languages: Italian, German and of course English.
At the national level, in Italy and Germany, we are expanding in the most important business centres: our associates have a strong background that is consistently useful for law firms and companies, as they can easily work and engage in cross-border issues. In addition, we are actively cooperating with universities and public institutions also at the European level.
HOW DO WE WORK
We are an association full of ideas and projects. From our foundation in 2018 we have been increasingly playing a central role not only in the relations between the Universität zu Köln and the University of Florence, but more broadly in the contacts between the German and Italian legal worlds and cultures.
Our goals are both internal and external: as an association we have to take care of our internal relations between members and try to improve them day by day while also connecting with the outside professional environment.
IN-HOUSE PROJECTS
Supporting the personal and academic journey
Our in-house projects focus on supporting the personal and academic path of our students. The main task is to try to connect students in Köln with students in Florence, to get them to communicate, to organise events together and to establish a relationship of trust and mutual help.
This has been achieved over the past years through events and projects. The 'Libretto' project, written by some of the students of the 5 year, is a text written for first- and third-year students coming to Florence and Köln: this textbook contains lots of tips for new students on how to cope with life in the new university and in a different state.
Other in-house projects have included the organisation of internal Moot Courts at the Universität zu Köln in cooperation with the Faculty of Law, the organisation of academic events, graduation ceremonies and much more.
EXTERNAL PROJECTS
Investing in our relations with the working environment
The role of our association is to forge and establish new relationships with the professional world: law firms first and foremost but also with private companies and public institutions.
We have to pursue these relationships on at least two fronts that accompany our students and their training, the German and Italian worlds. However, we are also keen in expanding our network at the European and international level.
It is a fundamental goal for ours to improve the future job opportunities of our associates and to enable them after their studies to better reach their career path and professional aspirations.