Thirtieth anniversary of the Rotterdam Law Network celebrated at Erasmus School of Law

The festive opening was led by Leonie Reins, Professor of Public Law and Sustainability and Chair of the RLN, and Philip Hans Franses, Professor of Quantitative Methods in Law and Vice Dean for Reputation and Impact at Erasmus School of Law. They welcomed emeritus Professor of European Law and former Dean Jaap de Zwaan, one of the network’s founding figures. In his speech, De Zwaan reflected on the network’s founding in the 1990s, when the RLN was deliberately built around universities from (then) EU accession countries, with the aim of strengthening a European academic legal network.

International exchange under pressure

The central theme of the gathering was student exchange, a traditional cornerstone of RLN collaboration. Through the Erasmus+ programme, students and staff benefit from the mutual agreements between member institutions. However, partners are increasingly observing that traditional exchange is under pressure. Students are facing rising financial barriers (such as travel and accommodation costs), administrative hurdles, and a growing reluctance to study abroad.

Despite the Bologna Process now being 35 years in place and the widespread adoption of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the automatic recognition of credits earned at partner universities still cannot be taken for granted. During the conference, best practices were shared to address these challenges and to better utilise staff exchange opportunities—an option that remains underused at present.

Towards new forms of international cooperation

To still offer students an international experience without the heavy financial and administrative burdens, RLN partners also explored innovative alternatives. Discussions included the integration of online modules into existing courses, the development of so-called Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), and the organisation of joint summer schools or conferences, in which PhD candidates can also actively participate.

These initiatives aim to contribute to a future-proof model of international cooperation in legal education, ensuring that students can engage in a cross-border network in an accessible way.

The thirtieth anniversary of the RLN thus marks not only a milestone in its history, but also a moment to reorient towards the future of international academic collaboration.