Strasbourg Mayoral visit marks quarter century Anglo-French law partnership

The University of Leicester was honoured to welcome the Mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian and distinguished delegates from the City of Strasbourg and University of Strasbourg on Friday (29 August) to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the twinning of the two cities and 25th anniversary of the University's joint law programme (LLB/Maîtrise in English and French Law). 

The visit to the University campus was part of a larger visit to strengthen the partnership between the two cities, which also saw the President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, join the City Mayor of Leicester and the Mayor of Strasbourg at a celebration event as well as University delegation attending a re-signing of the twinning agreement

The City of Leicester and the City of Strasbourg have been twinned since 1960, one of Leicester's oldest and most enduring international partnerships. 

The partnership was established as part of a wider post-World War II movement for peace and reconciliation and symbolises a commitment to mutual understanding, civic friendship, and European Unity.

The University of Leicester and the University of Strasbourg offer a four-year bilingual course in English and French Law. 

Madame la Maire, Jeanne Barseghian, and delegates met with Head of Leicester Law School, Professor Carlo Panara. They were also given a tour of Leicester Law School by Pascale Lorber, Associate Professor at Leicester Law School, who previously studied at the University of Leicester through the Erasmus programme from Strasbourg. 

Delegates also met with the University of Leicester's Professor Henrietta O'Connor, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Paul Angrave, Director of Public Affairs and Engagement; Professor Teela Sanders, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities; and Angela Harrison, Director of Global Partnerships.

Madame la Maire, Jeanne Barseghian said: “Strasbourg and Leicester are united by a long-standing friendship, built since 1960 on trust, mutual respect, and the belief that international cooperation between cities enriches our communities. The double law degree between our universities is a flagship success of this partnership, enabling generations of students to live and learn between our two cities. This joint degree, along with other cooperation areas, keep our friendship alive, relevant and meaningful for new generations.”

City Mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby said: “This visit recognised the importance of continuing the historic link between our two cities, and the two universities, which has given students of both countries the opportunity to widen their horizons. ”

Head of Leicester Law School, Professor Carlo Panara, said: “The link with the city of Strasbourg is very important to our Law School. Not only Strasbourg and Leicester are twinned cities, but the Law School in particular has been running since 2000 the 4-year long English and French Law LLB / Maitrise programme, which enables students to study in the first 2 years of their degree at Leicester University and in the final 2 years at Strasbourg University. Through this educate many bilingual lawyers able to qualify in both jurisdictions and maintain our strong links with France and Europe.”

Provost and Deputy-Vice Chancellor, Professor Henrietta O’Connor, said: “We are delighted that higher education has been a key feature of the twinning relationship between Leicester and Strasbourg. Our two cities are home to renowned universities that collaborate through academic exchanges and dual-degree programmes. This visit demonstrates the power of partnership between our universities and our city – and the benefits of the twinning relationship. It was a pleasure to showcase the success of our Law School to Madame la Maire who had the opportunity to meet with staff and students and learn at first-hand about the benefits of the twinning arrangement.”