In the framework of the institutional cooperation between the School of Law of the University of Minho (EDUM) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), ongoing since 2017, the Research Centre for Justice and Governance (JusGov)—as a subunit of the EDUM and a Research and Development Unit of the University of Minho (UM)—has been welcoming several students in what has been a rewarding experience for all those involved.

The students are hosted as part of the GRIP – Global Research & Internship Program, a programme run by Upenn aimed at allowing students the opportunity to gain research experience or carry out professional internships at one of its partners around the world. Under the programme, JusGov is annually offering up six vacancies for an eight-week research internship, starting in mid-May. Students join the JusGov research team under the guidance of a JusGov integrated researcher, under whose supervision they collaborate in line with their specific interests. Given that it takes place in a European cultural context, which differs from the North American one, the internship opens up unique learning opportunities from a comparative angle, something that we have been exploring throughout the programme. The main aim is to develop research and communication skills among peers, while providing a motivating, stimulating, and flexible working environment that fosters the personal and professional growth of the students involved.

Among the responsibilities entrusted to students as part of their research stay are autonomous research efforts, the organisation of scientific events, and exchanging research results (in research seminars and/or by publishing articles). Students may also be required to collaborate in other related activities, such as reviewing scholarly works or partaking in classroom exercises.

Throughout their stay, students have access to all the research resources of the University of Minho, provided through JusGov, including libraries and research databases, and for this reason a training session is organised by UMinho’s Documentation and Library Services Unit. Moreover, students also benefit from JusGov’s institutional partnerships, enabling them to liaise with other institutions whenever suitable.

Lastly, we should emphasise how this collaboration with UPenn is benefitting JusGov as well, given that interacting with international students affords the members of JusGov and those of the wider community it belongs to—the School of Law of the University of Minho—a truly unrivalled chance to share experiences and lessons.

January 29th, 2025

In the framework of the institutional cooperation between the School of Law of the University of Minho (EDUM) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), ongoing since 2017, the Research Centre for Justice and Governance (JusGov)—as a subunit of the EDUM and a Research and Development Unit of the University of Minho (UM)—has been welcoming several students in what has been a rewarding experience for all those involved.

The students are hosted as part of the GRIP – Global Research & Internship Program, a programme run by Upenn aimed at allowing students the opportunity to gain research experience or carry out professional internships at one of its partners around the world. Under the programme, JusGov is annually offering up six vacancies for an eight-week research internship, starting in mid-May. Students join the JusGov research team under the guidance of a JusGov integrated researcher, under whose supervision they collaborate in line with their specific interests. Given that it takes place in a European cultural context, which differs from the North American one, the internship opens up unique learning opportunities from a comparative angle, something that we have been exploring throughout the programme. The main aim is to develop research and communication skills among peers, while providing a motivating, stimulating, and flexible working environment that fosters the personal and professional growth of the students involved.

Among the responsibilities entrusted to students as part of their research stay are autonomous research efforts, the organisation of scientific events, and exchanging research results (in research seminars and/or by publishing articles). Students may also be required to collaborate in other related activities, such as reviewing scholarly works or partaking in classroom exercises.

Throughout their stay, students have access to all the research resources of the University of Minho, provided through JusGov, including libraries and research databases, and for this reason a training session is organised by UMinho’s Documentation and Library Services Unit. Moreover, students also benefit from JusGov’s institutional partnerships, enabling them to liaise with other institutions whenever suitable.

Lastly, we should emphasise how this collaboration with UPenn is benefitting JusGov as well, given that interacting with international students affords the members of JusGov and those of the wider community it belongs to—the School of Law of the University of Minho—a truly unrivalled chance to share experiences and lessons.

January 29th, 2025