Raj Bhushan Shinde Testimonial
Parasol International LLM program
Raj Bhushan Shinde, India
After graduating from Law School, and after having worked for a few years, I decided to pursue an LL.M.
In this pursuit, I started looking for universities abroad and I came across a less traveled path and found it interesting enough to take a leap of faith and that’s how I started my journey at Tel Aviv University and I have many fond memories from my time there, which I shall cherish forever.
There were a host of reasons behind my choosing Tel Aviv as a preferred option to pursue an LL.M. I had mainly three considerations:
- curriculum, faculty and structure of the program,
- diversity of the program, enriching cultural experiences and resultant peer learning,
- relations between the alumni and the institution and alumni inter se.
As far as the first consideration is concerned, I was looking for a program that laid emphasis on research, writing papers and offered opportunities to present that research before a like-minded and interested audience. The International LL.M. program is structured in such a manner that it does not merely provide classroom teaching but also lays emphasis on developing the aforementioned skills through its curriculum.
True to my expectation the faculty was world class and the quality of teaching was as good as any other world-renowned university.
As regards, the second consideration the size of the cohort is small and comprises of students from across the world spanning from European countries to South America covering the length and breadth of the globe. One gets to learn from the best practices and knowledge that the students from other countries bring with themselves. Class discussions and debates contribute to this learning in a big way by exchange of views and opinions through a truly international platform, both in spirit and form.
The program also had official excursions to familiarise us with the local culture and history. One memorable trip was to the North where we visited the grave of ‘Rachel the poetess’, where I had the privilege of reading her poem to the class, at her grave. We were also taken to the Caucasian Muslim colony where they have managed to live peacefully while preserving their cultures and traditions.
The third consideration was important to me because having good relations and a sense of belonging to an institution is important for me personally. Here too Tel Aviv University surpassed my expectations. I was encouraged to apply for a summer school and I was sent to a summer school on a full scholarship to Wurzburg University.
The staff and the academic leadership have constantly made efforts to stay in touch and enquire about my well-being, thus making me feel like a member of the larger TAU family.
This relationship is for life and beyond and it is my duty to nurture the same.
Of course, the regular virtual interaction and assistance provided by the admissions office helped me garner all this information and arrive at my own inferences and conclusions. To top it all up, Parasol Foundation provided a generous scholarship that made it possible for me to pursue my LL.M. in an expensive city like Tel Aviv. I am grateful to the Parasol Foundation and the Admissions Office for making it possible for me and I hope that I will be able to give back in some way to my alma mater the great institute, Tel Aviv University.
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