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 International Board
Appointed directors and co-ordinators
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International Board
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The International Board is the supreme executive body of the association. Its members are elected at the Spring Council Meeting for a one-year period. The International Board is responsible for the overall co-ordination of the organisation as a whole; including the support of member groups both locally and nationally, the collection and redistribution of information throughout the network to ensure the fullest participation possible at all events.
The International Board also co-ordinates and develops ELSA's collaboration with various international organisations and institutions, governments, law firms and companies across Europe.
The International Board consists of 7 positions. The members of the International Board work full-time at the international Headquarters in Brussels on a voluntary basis.
The seven positions are currently occupied by:
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Vice President Academic Activities - Astrid Sollie Skårdalsmo
My name is Astrid Sollie Skårdalsmo and this year I will be responsible for Academic Activities in the International Board of ELSA. Before coming to the International Board I lived and studied in Bergen, but I’m originally from the northern part of Norway, about 150 kilometres south of the Polar Circle.
My ELSA life started on my very first day at the Law Faculty in Bergen, as I was in an ELSA buddy group during the freshers’ week. I immediately became a member of the Local Group of ELSA Bergen and the first ELSA event in which I helped out was the Local Moot Court a few weeks later.
The year after that, I was appointed to the National Board as the director for bloc, the Norwegian members’ magazine. Finally last year I was VP AA of ELSA Norway, which was such a good experience that I decided I wanted to stay in ELSA for another year, this time in the International Board.
As part of ELSA International I wish to enlighten the area of Academic Activities and put focus on what activities each Local and National Group are best suited to organize. The cultural diversity in the Network has the consequence that not all events suite all groups, thus, I want to help the Network identify which activities students in each region are interested in, and which events they want to participate to.
What I like about ELSA is that, despite all the differences in this huge Network, everybody works voluntarily, and such engagement can’t be found outside this kind of associations. Everybody I meet is here because of a commitment that goes beyond financial and purely personal gain, we are all here for the Network, for ELSA!
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Vice President Seminars & Conferences - Enis Mehmet Burdurlu
My name is Enis Mehmet Burdurlu, I am 23years old and I come from Istanbul, Turkey. I have been involved with ELSA since the first year of the Law Faculty, 2003. . I first worked as the Vice President Seminar and Conferences on local level in Ankara then on national level and finally last year I was the President of ELSA Turkey. After my graduation, rather than springing into the working world and starting work in a law firm, I have chosen to work for ELSA by becoming part of the International Board. I believe that there is still big world I want to discover and new experiences to be part of. Being a part of ELSA is an important opportunity in the sense that it offers new prospects and unique experiences to law students and young lawyers. My involvement in ELSA lets me gain new skills, connections and international perspective that I am now committed to use for our Network. As the Vice President Seminars and Conferences, I am responsible for the overall coordination of the S&C area, International Focus Programme and the International Delegations.
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Vice President Student Trainee Exchange Programme - Delia Orabona
I am Delia Orabona. I come from Napoli, Italy.
I have studied and graduated at the Law Faculty of the University “Federico II” in Napoli where I joined ELSA for the first time in 2002.
There was a time when on my personal account STEP was one of the best opportunities to benefit from my ELSA membership and live the ELSA values: the chance to go abroad, to live and learn other law systems, to study and work at the same time. This experience was a mind opener and started to see my student life in a new perspective with an outlook on the future of becoming a European jurist. ELSA was for me a unique way to make the best of my years at University.
What was earlier enthusiasm, developed into the determination, to do something more, to work for our association, to be part of its growth. My first position in ELSA Napoli was STEP Directorship, in 2002. Since then, I’ve worked with STEP at the local level and since 2006 at the national level.During the last years I have been in touch with the student, the academic and the work world and above all I have found Friendship.
The opportunity to be part of the International Board for the year 2007/08 is the achievement of my initial dream, representing ELSA on the International level. What I wish for me this year is to continue to work successfully for ELSA, for STEP, for you all!!
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President - Matthias Stauffacher
I’m from Kirchdorf near Baden, near Zurich, Switzerland but originally from a small town in the mountains called Matt – like the first 4 letters in my name. I studied in Zurich and Geneva and the last year I was working as a research assistant for Ms Professor Kaufmann at the Chair for Constitutional, Administrative, International and European Law at the University of Zurich. I love music, played for more than 10 years and I organised many concerts and parties during my High school years.
I’ve joined ELSA in the beginning of my studies, since I liked the idea of a European network of Law students. I gained my first ELSA experience as an OC member for an international seminar on “Organised Crime” which was held in Zurich in 2003. Later on I was active on the Local Board of ELSA Zurich as VP S&C. I then was one year active in the National Board of ELSA Switzerland as VP S&C and one year as President.
For me it was always important to promote ELSA as an International Organisation and to give our members the opportunity to participate on the national and international level. This is also the reason why I ran for Presidency of ELSA International. I want to develop the strengths of our Organisation and improve the possibilities for every member. As President of ELSA International I wish to improve our organisation so that we’re able to look forward to the 50th Birthday of our Organisation!
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Secretary General - João Thiago Rocha Ferreira
My name is João Thiago Rocha Ferreira, I am 25 years old and I’m from Porto, Portugal. Originally born in São Paulo, Brazil, I have a passion for football and sports in general. I am member of ELSA since 2001 and fell in love with it since 2003.
I had the opportunity to participate and organize both Internal Meetings and International Events of ELSA and that undoubtedly bounded me to this organization.
Being SecGen for me is much more than deadlines and rules. It is also to be able to have the ultimate contact with ELSA Members and have opportunity to motivate and work with everyone. And to fight for a more linked Association, decrease boundaries and bring quality to the Association will be the aims to be achieved.
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Treasurer - Daniel Azzopardi
My name is Daniel Azzopardi and I come from Malta though I was born in London, England. I first got involved with ELSA working as an OC member with my national group ELSA Malta. I was primarily responsible for raising the funds to finance the event. I was subsequently invited to be the Director for Fundraising, which I accepted gladly. I spent half a year in the directorship role until elections were coming along and I was invited to run for the National Board. I decided to run for the post of Treasurer, and I’ve carried that post on to the International Board, which I am now fulfilling. This year I intend to strengthen the finances of the Association through fundraising strategies and solid financial planning, as well as supporting our national groups as best I can and using various methods, primarily our EDF. On a personal level, I have a passion for all things cultural and intellectual, always thrilled to pick up a book and learn something new, or visit the local museum or art gallery. I also harbour keen interests in history, politics, economics, film, music and oenology.
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Vice President Marketing - Lavinia Micallef
My name is Lavinia Micallef, I hale from the small yet important Island of Malta. I started my ELSA career in the most Southern of ELSA Groups, back in 2002 I became a member slowly slowly I got more and more involved in ELSA until in 2005when I was appointed to the National Board of ELSA Malta as Vice President Marketing.
Marketing for me has always been a passion, although I am a law student. I would like to bring all that has been done by previous boards and improve it, rebrand ELSA as the serious and truly useful organisation that it is. Inject energy and provide the tools for law students to be able to open the world of ELSA to more law students.
ELSA is an international network and unless you experience it as such you can never understand its true value. ELSA is like a kaleidoscope, you just need to put some initiative into it and it will give you various marvellous opportunities. All along our ELSA trip, usually starting at local, then national and then international level is a learning process that broadens your horizons, allows you to meet people and make contacts and friends.
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Directors
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The International Board works together with a number of appointed directors who are responsible for specific areas of activity. These are students who work several hours a day from their homes, also on a voluntary basis. All members of the International Team gather several times a year in Brussels, to plan and co-ordinate their work with the International Board.
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Director for Public Relations - Maria Mogilnaya
My name is Masha (a short name for Maria in Russian) and I work as a Director for Public Relations ELSA International. This year I am responsible for disseminating the results of the Market Research conducted by ELSA in 2007 and also for managing public relations for the ELSA Moot Court Competition on WTO Law.
After joining ELSA in 2001, I worked at local, national and international levels as Vice President Seminars and Conference, Secretary General, President and Director for the 25th Anniversary. In 2003 I have also became an ITP Trainer. I want to believe that the experience and ELSA knowledge I have gained so far will help me bring the public relations of ELSA International to the next level.
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Director for Advertisements - Katarzyna Karpiuk
My name is Katarzyna Karpiuk I live in Gdansk a city in the north of Poland. I started my ELSA Carreer in 2004 and was a vice president marketing and later a President of my group. Three years later I am happy as well as enthusiastic to form part of the International team.
As the Director for Advertisements I have a lot of contact with people from the legal and educational fields, all around the world from Asia to America, the UK to Australia, besides the time-zone differences I think this is an interesting learning experience. I see ELSA as an organisation that offers great opportunities to law students. I have a very high esteem for this organisation and this keeps me working like a steam train in order to give opportunities to Universities to offer law programms to our members.
ELSA is a great network of around 30,000 highly motivated people that want to work to fulfill the aims of this organisation, and I consider myself a prime example of that !
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Director for Corporate Relations - Laura Jelinek
My name is Laura Jelinek, and I come from Munich, where I started both my law studies and my ELSA career almost at the same time. Besides those two main "jobs", I also love travelling and going to the theatre.
In my eyes, ELSA is a unique institution that offers law students the possibility to get to learn more about international contexts, to meet other students from all countries of Europe and to take responsibility within a society that gets more and more international.
After having been active on the local level for two years and as the President of the National Board of ELSA Germany in the last year, I took on the position as the director for Corporate Relations for ELSA International. In this role can contribute to the promotion of ELSA among externals and of course help establish financial stability for our Organisation.
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Director for the International Focus Programme - Konstantinos Stylianou
I am Konstantinos Stylianou (Greece), but people usually go for the shorter version, Kostas that is. I will be this year’s Director for IFP. I don’t recall my first involvement with ELSA but I used to be the Secgen of ELSA Thessaloniki, then President and then President of ELSA Greece. ELSA has greatly contributed in shaping the person I am today and the least I can do is devote a year of my life to give something back to the network.
I am excited beyond words about my appointment as Director for IFP mainly because the current IFP on Intellectual Property is as fascinating as it is contemporary. My top priorities during my office are to raise awareness about IP Law and try to convince people that intellectual property is all around us and it’s worth dealing with (through events), especially in the new digital environment. I will also try to present as many aspects of IP Law and in particular alternative ways of examining intellectual property.
It goes without saying that I am a hundred percent at the disposal of all national and local groups for assistance. I am looking forward to working on diverse projects, helping wherever I can and taking initiatives that will promote both the intellectual property field and the ELSA network equally.
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Director for Student Trainee Exchange Programme - Lucia Pálušová
My name is Lucia Pálušová and I am currently studying my last year at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Originally I’m from small picturesque town called Martin, which is situated in the northern part of Slovakia.
I’m quite an active person and I really found fulfillment in work for ELSA, especially STEP! My first position in ELSA was that of editor of our magazine for law students three years ago. A couple months after I became a member of OC for great even – European Moot Court Competition. Since then, I have been elected as VP STEP at the local level and finally in 2006 at the national level.
I am very happy and proud, I can be part of International team this year. STEP is – going abroad, learning about new legal systems, meeting people from a whole Europe. I will do my best to develop and improve STEP and ELSA as well. We are here on the same boat and working together! One Network, one idea, one vision!
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Director for Training - Christoph Rieckmann
I am Christoph Rieckmann I was born, raised and educated in the nice city of Bremen.
First being a local director, I have joined ELSA right at the beginning of my studies. At that time, the idea of an International network of students, the opportunity to be part of that network and help to further develop it, made me join ELSA. The following year I was responsible for International Relations and Study Visits on the German National Board. The most rewarding experience during that year was surely a Study Visit with ALSA Japan in the German Rhine area combined with a visit of the ELSA headquarters in Brussels. Last year I functioned as the Director for Seminars and Conferences of ELSA Germany.
I have volunteered to be part of the international dimension of ELSA this year, because I want to give something back to the organisation, which has given me so much over the last three years: self-realisation, soft skills, internationality, fun and very good and true friends! I feel I can do so by taking responsibility for the Training area, providing ELSA groups all over Europe and beyond with soft skills, ELSA skills and much more motivation. I am looking forward to this task and I am certain that the International Board together with the Directors will achieve big things this year!
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International Organising Committee EMC2, responsible for participants - Koen Klootwijk
I am Koen Klootwijk, a 25 years old student, of International and European law, from the Netherlands.
My first introduction of ELSA was a Newsletter of ELSA Leiden, that I found at our law faculty in Nijmegen, when we were with a small group of people looking to establish a Local Group of ELSA at our faculty. When we contacted the National Board of ELSA in The Netherlands, they became so enthusiastic about our ideas. Soon we met people from all over Europe who soon made us realise that we really wanted to belong to that group! After that, we established ELSA Nijmegen and I’ve been President of the board until September 2007.
I’m looking forward to work in the International Organising Committee for EMC2, not only is it a great ELSA event to organise, it also is a new opportunity to meet people, see different places and at the same time stay in touch with my ELSA friends all over the network!
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