Alumni portrait: Zedlira Kelmendi - "Not many people have something like that".

2020-09-02 The 25-year-old studied 'International Economic Law' at Leuphana and at Glasgow University. The master's programme leads to a double degree. The qualification was a professional door opener for the business lawyer.

When Zedlira Kelmendi got on the bus in Glasgow for the first time, she did not have enough small change for the ticket. "I had just arrived in Scotland," the 25-year-old recalls. The driver took her to university anyway: "It's ok. Enjoy your time in Glasgow." Not only was it a nice start, things went on just as well: "I was given a friendly welcome everywhere. I had found my accommodation on the net beforehand. It worked out very easily," the business lawyer remembers. In the autumn of 2019, she completed the master's programme ‘International Economic Law’ with a double degree from the universities of Lüneburg and Glasgow, which is partially studied at both universities. The students spend the first year at Leuphana University. "There we studied civil law and European economic law on a general level," says Zedlira Kelmendi. At the University of Glasgow, the specialisation then follows. "There are many opportunities there. I studied international property law, including copyright aspects. 

Zedlira Kelmendi went to Scotland together with her fellow students: "We were the ‘German students’ at the beginning, but we soon blended in. Students there come from all over the world. Today I have friends in China, India and Mexico”. Zedlira Kelmendi had completed her bachelor's degree in law, corporate and commercial law, at Leuphana and was already taking courses in English at the time: "It was important to me to continue my studies on an international level". That is why she decided to take part in the master's programme ‘International Economic Law’: "Trade routes almost always lead across borders. Business lawyers must understand the legal implications". 

Today, the law expert works for an internationally operating law firm in Hamburg. "The double degree was rated very positively in each of my job interviews. Not many people have something like that," says Zedlira Kelmendi. The tuition fees for the year in Glasgow were also quickly recovered: "You have the money back in after two or three months on the job," reports the business lawyer.
For her, the programme has paid off. "I feel very well prepared for the challenges of my career. I am familiar with international legal terms and I can provide support in many areas," says Zedlira Kelmendi. The curriculum was demanding, but the support was just as great. "In our first year at Leuphana, we were introduced very well to the British writing style, learned to write essays and studied legal writing. At Glasgow University, students were given a weekly reading list and had to be able to discuss the texts at the end of the week. "But here, too, we were not left alone. Open questions were answered with appreciation," says Zedlira Kelmendi. She also wrote her master's thesis on patent law in Great Britain. Professors both from Leuphana and Glasgow University evaluated the thesis.

International Economic Law-Alumna Zedlira Kelmendi ©www.ingasommer.de
International Economic Law-Alumna Zedlira Kelmendi

Further information

The application period for the master's programme in Internatonal Economic Law ends this year on 15. September.