TOP > Student Voice (Ayleene Nguyen)

Student Life

Student Voice


Ayleene Nguyen
Home country: Germany
*Ms. Nguyen graduated the LLM in Global Legal Practice and received a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law in September 2024.

How did you find out about the LLM program, and what attracted you to pursue it?

Keio University Law School is a partner with my home university in Germany, this is how I first heard of KLS. Besides, it was always my goal to pursue an LLM degree overseas, as this would be a great opportunity for me to study and live abroad. Studying at Keio University would be a great chance to live through one of the strongest Asian economies in Japan's capital with its many contrasts in traditional customs and rapid futuristic technologies. Keio's prestigious reputation as one of the oldest universities in Japan would allow me to become a part of a broader international academic community. Lastly, outside of my academic and professional goals, I had a personal reason to study in Asia. This is why I felt an innate desire to spend a longer period of my life in Asia. Coming from an Asian background and having lived in many other places before, this was a great opportunity for me to re-connect to my Asian heritage and also to learn more about Asian culture.

 

Please tell us about your most memorable class, along with the reason why.

During my undergraduate studies in law, I focused on legal IP matters. Knowing that KLS offers a certificate program in Innovation and Intellectual Property Law, I took advantage of selecting IP-related courses such as International IP Licensing Agreements by Hayakawa sensei, Beraha sensei, and Global IP Management by Takenaka sensei. Both classes were lectured by highly esteemed professionals and professors, who provided an international as well as a Japanese perspective on IP matters from academic and practical standpoints. This was very exciting for me, as I aim for an international profession in that particular field of law.

 

What do you enjoy about life at Keio?

I enjoyed most the international environment of KLS. Having new students commencing twice a year welcomed us to meet new peers over our period of stay. I appreciated having met so many international students from all over Asia, Europe, and the USA. Here, I was glad to share my experiences as well as being offered a unique opportunity to network with lecturers and professionals along with like-minded students from international and Japanese backgrounds. It allowed me to make friends from all over the globe with a close circle of friends with whom I will stay in touch beyond my stay at KLS. When it comes to sports, Keio University has a strong bond with baseball, and I was lucky to enjoy the biannual baseball games against Waseda University.

 

What are your plans after you finish your studies at Keio? What do you think you will take with you from this experience?

For my profession, I gained extensive knowledge about international business law and IP law, which I am sure will help me along my career path. Personally, I learned a lot about Asian culture, especially about Japanese arts and crafts.

 

Any advice for prospective LLM students? How would you recommend the Keio LLM program to the students?

There is just so much one can prepare in advance for a stay abroad, such as in Japan. Besides eventually gaining some basic understanding of Japanese, I would advise being open and spontaneous to let things just roll and enjoy the experience to the fullest once in Japan.

 

(This interview is from September 2024.)

Back to the Top