The opportunity to study at such a prestigious institution as Columbia Law School made for one of the most enriching years of my academic career. It could not have been a better choice: Columbia University in the City of New York unites top-tier Ivy league education with all the benefits of a truly unique world city. The one-year LL.M. program passed way too fast, without the opportunity to explore each and every academic, cultural, and culinary offer. But thanks to the many Fulbright events and the network it gave, I am able to look back on a wide range of experiences and interactions that rounded off an otherwise already excellent experience.

The gateway and enrichment seminars bring together students from all fields, from natural scientists, lawyers, and engineers to poets, painters, and musicians. The Institute of International Education in New York regularly organized leisure activities and network events that at least allowed the “New Yorkers” to keep in touch with each other. These many conversations and friendships are what we take home with us, where we continue as ambassadors of the Fulbright mission.

Markus Beham was an Austrian Fulbright Student in 2014–15 and is now lecturer at the University of Vienna and an associate with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in the international arbitration team. Photo courtesy of Markus Beham.