Jasper Bossuyt (2015, Law)

“I am a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Tax Law at KU Leuven. At Harvard, I am enrolled as an LL.M. student in the International Tax Program (ITP). Harvard’s academic life is mind-blowing. I am taking both taxation and typical US courses such as constitutional law, allowing for close interaction and discussion with world-class professors. I also work as a research assistant for my corporate tax professor. The many opportunities on and around campus are overwhelming. I am on Harvard European Law Association’s board and play in two intramural basketball teams. I also regularly attend student-organized events, Boston Celtics games, the Boston Symphony Orchestra etc.

Living in Cambridge with its large student population is great. Most of my friends are LL.M. students but also Americans you meet in classes and social activities such as lunch talks, networking events or simply a bar.

The Boas program has an enormous value both for my career as well as my personal life. With its support, I can take the intellectually challenging classes at the world’s top law school while at the same time meeting and befriending extraordinary people from all over the world.”

Alexander Stevens (2015, Law)

“I am currently enrolled in the LLM program at Harvard Law School, having previously studied at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and the University of Oxford. After graduation, I will be joining the European Central Bank in Frankfurt as a trainee. My objective in pursuing the LLM program was to study the US perspective on financial regulation, but, as demonstrated by my fellow students, Harvard is the ideal setting to carry out any type of project. One is able to choose from a vast pool of courses in multiple schools. Small class sizes lead to thought provoking discussions, while the multiple legal clinics, societies and law reviews give you the opportunity to apply your skills. This doesn’t even take account of the frequent interactions with world-leading academics, daily conferences on miscellaneous topics, and the new perspectives provided by conversations with fellow students from all around the world.

Moreover, living in the US and discovering the American culture by travelling around the country and befriending American classmates and roommates, is truly stimulating. Coping with this year’s record-breaking snowstorms in Boston and seeing the local football team, the Patriots, winning the Super Bowl were exciting events. Particularly vivifying is being part of the school’s soccer team with players from six different continents. Overall, this has been a life-changing experience in terms of career prospects and personal enrichment.

For fifty years now, the Boas program has permitted and encouraged talented youths to achieve their projects. I feel very privileged to be part of this community of scholars and truly grateful for their support. I am committed to giving back in the future, to give young students the same chances I had.”