By Suzanna Louzada,
Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
IALL bursary recipient 2024
“That’s the best professional event I have ever attended” – is what I said to Mark Engsberg in one of our conversations in Oslo.
I must say that this wasn’t the impression of a beginner in career or someone who hadn’t attended many professional events, considering I have been to several national and international events. I must also refute the first thing that crossed your mind – no, I wasn’t trying to impress the President of IALL. It is true.
It was not about the program specifically, or the social events, or the colleagues, or the locations, or the city, but about the impressive, coordinated ballet of all these aspects together.
The Local Planning Committee, together with the Board Members of IALL, was able to create an event that brought together excellent lectures given by highly qualified professors, in the amazing setting of the University of Oslo, complemented by pleasant coffee breaks and meetings with great sponsors, and uplifting guided tours to very interesting places like the Supreme Court of Norway – all in the vibrant city of Oslo, capped off with absolutely amazing social events.
The social events, I must say, deserve a whole chapter of their own. First of all, the impression I referred to at the beginning of this testimony was probably heavily influenced by the genuine feeling of being welcomed from the very start of the Annual Course. From the Members of the Scholarships Committee to the President of IALL himself, the attendees – it was my first time at the event, and everyone made a point of making me feel at home.
Also, this was also the first event I attended where people were truly interested in getting to know one another, chatting, sharing different cultures, points of view, and professional experiences – and that was the highlight. Having the opportunity to engage, laugh, and learn with Sonia Crenn from the Red Cross Library, Juan-Andres Fuentes from Harvard Law School, Claudia Holland from the Max Planck Institute, Kerem Kahvecioglu from Istanbul Bilgi University, Rens Steenhard from the Peace Palace, and Alison Shea from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, to name just a few of the amazing people I met, was enriching in ways that words can hardly describe – both professionally and personally.
Of course, engaging with these incredible professionals was made even more enjoyable by the quality and elegance of the social events organized by the Local Planning Committee. I mean, Juan-Andres is such an admirable law librarian and now a friend, but learning about his journey with a glass of champagne in Oslo City Hall made everything more interesting, right?
Video Caption: Reception at Oslo City Hall
Jokes aside, I want to end this testimony by congratulating the Local Planning Committee for organizing such an amazing and flawless event. I also want to thank the IALL Board Members, especially the President, for the warm welcome and the impeccable leadership during the course.
To the Scholarships Committee, I extend my sincere gratitude for the honor of being chosen for the bursary, which, as the many adjectives in this text suggest, gave me one of the most valuable professional experiences of my career so far.
The willingness of professionals to engage with people from other cultures and professional backgrounds was a highlight of the event.
To my colleagues reading this, especially those from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, I want to emphasize that international institutions are – as the name implies – international, and it is in the interest of the entire global community to ensure diversity in these spaces.
See you in Houston, then?
This Blog contains entries by members of the International Association of Law Libraries on issues germane to the Association’s areas of focus. Views expressed in an individual entry only represent the views of the author, and not those of the International Association of Law Libraries or the author’s employer.