Second-year Bachelor of Laws student, Vladyslav Trushkovskyi was recently selected to represent South East Technological University (SETU) at the Council of Europe.
Competition winner
Vladyslav earned this opportunity by winning an essay competition sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs to celebrate Ireland’s 75th anniversary as a member of the Council of Europe.
“I was fortunate to have been selected as the winner of this competition and delighted to represent Waterford law students on a trip to the Council of Europe,” Vladyslav explained.
Great opportunity
The three-day trip began in Dublin at the Department of Foreign Affairs, where Vladyslav and his group met Maeve von Heynitz, Director General of the EU Division, and Barra Lysaght, Assistant Legal Advisor on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
“We also had the privilege of engaging with Breifne O’Reilly, Director of the EU Division and former Permanent Representative during Ireland’s 2022 Presidency of the Council of Europe, followed by Jackie O’Halloran, Director of the Human Rights Unit, and Killian Browne and John Prendergast, who spoke about careers in Europe,” he said.
Exploring the Council of Europe
In Strasbourg, the group visited the Palais de l’Europe, where Nikolaos Sitaropoulos discussed the role of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters.
They later attended a session of the World Forum for Democracy and met with Matjaž Gruden, Director of Democratic Participation at the Council of Europe, followed by a discussion with Caitriona Doyle, Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe.
On the final day, they attended Plenary Session 4 of the World Forum for Democracy, “From Populism to Authoritarianism,” moderated by Ireland’s Permanent Representative. The trip concluded with a visit to the European Court of Human Rights and a meeting with Bjorn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
I learned so much from everyone we met in Dublin and Strasbourg, and I have a newfound respect for the work that is done by the Council of Europe.
Vladyslav Trushkovskyi Second-year Bachelor of Laws student, SETU
On reflection
Reflecting on the experience, Vladyslav shared, “I learned so much from everyone we met in Dublin and Strasbourg, and I have a newfound respect for the work that is done by the Council of Europe. I would like to express my gratitude to the Department of Foreign Affairs for this opportunity, all those who hosted us and engaged with us on this trip, and my lecturers in the Department of Law and Criminal Justice in Waterford. I have been inspired by the commitment of lecturers in the Department of Law and Criminal Justice to not only their subjects but also to their students. Their open-door policy ensures that any student needing support or guidance is directed in the right way.”
