As of next week, anyone who has an interest in EU law will be able to take a 5 week course in the subject - for free - courtesy of Leiden University.

IamExpat discussed this project several months ago as it was developing, but it has now been finalised. The University will be using Coursera, the free platform which allows leading universities to offer classes online.

Leiden’s course on "The Law of the European Union" will start June 10, and will be open to anyone worldwide who has internet access.

The programme will be taught by the University’s Professor Stefaan Van de Bogaert, an international expert. He will be giving lectures on the history and evolution of EU law, as well as addressing how the law relates to issues such as civil rights and the recession.

Importantly, this course places Leiden at the forefront of international teaching developments.
 

It is the first University in the Netherlands, and only the fourth in Europe, to offer what is termed a MOOC ("Massive Open Online Course").

Van den Bogaert is enthusiastic about this new form of teaching, stating that, "it's no longer a question of whether online courses will be part of the future in teaching, but how. Leiden is ahead of the curve with MOOC."

The lecturer has clearly struck a chord, as it’s estimated that his classes will be followed by more than 30.000 people.

Visit the Coursera website for more information and to sign up.