8 questions about the course ‘Justice Entrepreneurship’

Why did you choose the course ‘Justice Entrepreneurship’?

Katie: ‘Even though I gained some work experience between my PPLE Bachelor's and this Master's in Public International Law, I felt unprepared for the future. Some courses are such an abstraction from reality. What if I want to work at an NGO? Or start up my own thing, bridging the gap between law and practice less conventionally? I loved that this course allows you to determine what you want to use your knowledge for.’

Luna, you're Dutch. Did you experience difficulties taking this English course?

Luna: ‘It was never a problem for me. But also, regarding the language difficulty, I didn't find “Justice Entrepreneurship” very difficult. It doesn't require an extremely high level of English like other law courses.’

According to the Course Catalogue, you gain entrepreneurial skills. Can you give an example?

Katie: 'The one far away from general legal skills was building a website and a brand. It made us realize we understood the law and what we wanted to say. But how could we present this to people in an understandable way that would interest them?’

How's the workload for this 8-week course?

Luna: 'You give more than you would in a regular class. But working on something you're passionate about feels more natural. The first part of the course is research and development; in the second part, you build your idea. You learn to speak for an audience. We had a whole session on eye contact and body language.’ Katie: ‘That was my favorite academic day of the year.’ Luna: ‘Same!’

Would you recommend this course to other students?

Luna: 'Having this course on your CV differentiates you from others because everyone is going for that internship at a law firm.’

Katie: 'It is probably the first thing I'd bring up in a job application. It's the most valuable course I have taken away from this Master's. The resources, connections, and practical skills I now have are unparalleled by anything else offered at the UvA.’

In this course, you're designing a legal or justice problem solution. What problem have you researched?

Luna: ‘Katie and I both took “European Migration Law” and found that migration law is complex. We wanted to help refugees bridge the knowledge gap. People are working in panic mode and heading to Europe without knowing where to get help.’

What is the solution you've designed?

Luna: 'Initially, we designed an app called Refugee Buddy guiding refugees in claiming asylum in countries like the Netherlands. It advises them on what to say and bring and connects them with NGOs. If asylum is unlikely, it warns against the journey, explaining the harsh realities of detention.

Katie: 'But then, as we started researching the Dutch asylum process, we found many inefficiencies. For example, €30,000 is spent per applicant, with a 40% rejection rate. This led us to shift focus from aiding refugees to addressing government inefficiencies, aiming to save money and make our business sustainable and profitable.’

You've finished the course now. How will you continue with Refugee Buddy?

Luna: ‘We pitched our idea at the Amsterdam Law Hubs Legal Startup Event,External link where we won the second prize. That means we can pitch at Legal Geek in September, which can help us get the resources and connections we need to take it further.’                                       

Katie: 'This course has made me realize that I am passionate about social justice entrepreneurship. I want to give Refugee Buddy a shot next year, even if that means working in a café on the side.’