Having worked in international settings for most of his career, as an expert at the UN’s  International Labour Organization and the European Trade Union Institute, Prof. Maarten Keune feels right at home teaching international students and conducting research with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds.

‘I teach a course on collective bargaining and social dialogue, a key area in the regulation of the labour market in most European countries. Collective agreements complement labour legislation and often regulate employment relationship in much more detail. For students of international labour law it is elementary to understand collective agreements and know about the differences between countries in this field.’

Students in Prof. Keune’s class research collective bargaining and social dialogue systems in a range of EU countries. ‘This certainly broadens everyone’s view. We often think that the way things are arranged in our country is  the only or the “normal” way. Here students learn about alternative arrangements and processes in other countries, which broadens their scope and also helps them to better reflect on their own country.’

‘Knowing how Europe works and what the differences are, is indispensable knowledge these days. This is true for lawyers who mostly focus on the domestic situation as they can no longer ignore international regulations. It’s even more crucial for those who aim to work at international institutions, such as our students in the European and International Labour Law programme.’