Bridging Borders and Building Bonds: A Journey Through the Fordham Law-UCD-QUB Summer School
School of Law student, Harry Boyce, reflects on a very successful Fordham Summer School.
We were privileged to host the 25th annual Fordham Law Summer School at QUB last month in collaboration with University College Dublin and Fordham Law, NYC.
One of our students, Harry Boyce, who participated in the event, wanted to convey just how rewarding the experience was and has provided us with this lovely testimony.
"Last month, I had the privilege of taking part in the Fordham Law-UCD-QUB Summer School, a two-week immersive experience split between Belfast and Dublin.
Alongside fellow students from Fordham, Queen's University Belfast, and UCD, and led by incredible faculty from all three universities, we explored human rights law, particularly through the lens of Northern Ireland's complex history and the ongoing peace process.
As someone from the Republic of Ireland, though living in the North, I was grateful to contribute to the dialogue by offering my unique perspective, and from hearing others' opinions, I felt deeply enriched and very inspired by the discussions within the class.
Classes ranged from talking about legitimacy and power to restorative justice, parade rights, and the broader human rights lessons Northern Ireland continues to teach the world. This was improved by amazing guest speakers, such as from the Parades Commission and other key voices in NI's peace and justice work.
Beyond this, we had memorable events, including dinners at the King’s Inns and at Queen's University, where I had the honour of meeting amazing guests, including the Hon. Dame Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, and the Hon. Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, Chief Justice of Ireland.
A huge thank you to Michael Martin, John Feerick, and everyone else who made this program possible. The friendships I made during my time with the summer school students from Fordham University School of Law, QUB, and UCD are ones I’ll carry with me for life."
Thank you to Michael Martin and his exceptional team at Fordham Law for making this such a fulfilling experience for our students. We are grateful for the collaboration.