Between September 4th and 21st, students from the First to Fifth Year of Law at the Universidad Austral they started Academic Trip to Europe 2026, which led them to travel Italy, Germany, France and SwitzerlandThe itinerary also included visits to Austria and Vatican City. It combined visits to universities, courts, and institutions with tours of... places traversed by Law, history, culture, art, religion and memory.

But the dimensions of the Journey are not measured solely in kilometers. For those who experienced it, it was just over two weeks of classes, meetings, walks, conversations, and discoveries that allowed them to view Law from other perspectives and, at the same time, share an experience that left its mark on their university life.

"It has been an extraordinary experience in so many ways," summarized Fernando Toller, director of the Law program. "On the one hand, in terms of scope, visiting some 20 cities in 4 countries, covering 3.400 km in 5 vans and about 200 km on foot. On the other hand, in terms of the intensity and significance of the places visited and the people we were able to connect with."

The Academic Trip to Europe 2026 was attended by 32 students from both campuses of the Universidad Austral where the Law degree is offered: Buenos Aires and Pilar. The diversity of ages and academic backgrounds was also part of the experience: sharing so many days allowed students from different years to forge connections and build a shared experience that strengthened their bonds. In addition to Toller, four other professors traveled with them: Paz Miatello, Director of Studies; Ignacio de Casas, Academic Secretary; Franco Melchiori; and Chaplain Juan María Gallardo.

“The group’s and professors’ positive attitude was a huge help and key to everything going so well and allowing me to have this incredible experience,” says Juana Isasmendi, a third-year student from the City of Buenos Aires. “I’ve made friends from other courses I barely spoke to or didn’t know before. That makes me feel very comfortable with the people at the Faculty, whom I’ll continue to see. I came back having learned a lot, but above all, with new people in my life.”

Learn Law in the places where history happened

The tour was designed as a comprehensive educational experience . Each city opened a different door to understanding European history and, through it, different dimensions of law.

Rome was the starting point and one of the main hubs of the Southern Law Trip. In addition to visiting the city's major landmarks, the birthplace of law, the students participated in an academic and institutional program, which included four key meetings:

• A session with Monsignor Mariano Fazio, Argentinian and former rector of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (PUSC).
• A session with Angel Gomez Montoro, constitutional lawyer and former rector of the University of Navarra.
• A visit to the Argentine Embassy to the Holy Seewhere Councilor Sofia Sanchez Acosta opened the doors to explain the tasks of the diplomatic representation and how the trip of Pope Leo XIV to our country was being prepared.
• A visit to the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, with a class by Martín Astudillo, an Argentine priest and jurist, about an institution whose history dates back more than 700 years and which exercises jurisdiction over 1.400 billion people of the universal Church.

Rome also held a spiritual dimension deeply connected to the identity of our University. The group visited the Argentine National Church, built in 1910 at the initiative of the Argentine priest José León Gallardo, great-great-uncle of Father Juan María Gallardo. There they participated in Mass and a celebration with empanadas alongside the Argentine community residing in Rome.

Father Gallardo also celebrated Mass in the Papal Crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, a few meters from the tomb of the Apostle . The group also participated in another Mass at the Prelatic Church of Santa Maria della Pace, near the remains of St. Josemaría Escrivá. There, one of the most special moments of their stay took place: a meeting with Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, Prelate of Opus Dei. Five students and Paz Miatello shared their personal testimonies with him in a close and very moving dialogue that left a lasting impression on all who participated.

The Faculty of Law, with the Pope in St. Peter's Square

Rome also provided some of the most significant moments of the entire trip. The students attended the Wednesday general audience with Pope Leo XIVWhile awaiting their arrival, amidst the crowd, they heard with surprise the announcement of the presence in St. Peter's Square of the delegation from the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Austral.

The audience was a moment of profound significance: seeing and hearing Pope Leo XIV up close, in one of the most emblematic places in the history of the Church and the world, will remain one of the unforgettable memories of this trip.

Thus, from the beginning, Rome brought together several of the dimensions that would run through the entire journey across Europe: the study of Law, history, culture, art, university education and the spiritual dimension, deeply linked to the identity of our University.

To the north: Assisi, Bologna and Trento

The journey continued towards Assisi , next to the venerated remains of Saint Francis, coinciding with the 800th anniversary of his death, and of Saint Carlo Acutis, known as the "saint influencer".

Next came Bologna, a particularly significant stop for the law students. There they visited the historic building of the University of Bologna , the Alma Mater Studiorum , founded in 1088 and considered the oldest university in the world. They also toured its historic Faculty of Law and visited the tombs of some of the leading Glossators of the Corpus Juris Civilis , who revived and enriched Roman law, bequeathing it renewed to the next millennium.

After a brief visit by some to Venice and by others to Verona, the group continued their tour of northern Italy and learned about the history of the famous Council of Trent , which responded to the challenge posed by Martin Luther.

Munich, Dachau and Nuremberg: historical memory and legal responsibility

The arrival in Germany opened another of the great chapters of the journey.

In Munich , in addition to touring the city and learning about its university tradition, the students approached the history of resistance to the Nazi regime through the memory of the White Rose , the movement made up of students and professors who opposed Nazism.

Then the Austral Lawyers group visited the former Dachau concentration camp, which began in 1933. The barracks, the ovens, and the museum prompted a profound reflection on history, human dignity, and the consequences of the violation of fundamental rights.

The tour continued to Nuremberg, where international criminal law and historical memory took center stage. In the renowned Courtroom 600 of the Palace of Justice , the site of the historic Nuremberg Trials , the students saw where the main leaders of the Nazi regime were tried after World War II , and where subsequent trials against other perpetrators took place over the next five years. The visit was held just days before the 80th anniversary of the landmark verdict in those trials.

There, professors Fernando Toller and Ignacio de Casas gave a lecture to the students on International Criminal Law and various issues related to the infamous trial. In addition to the headquarters of the International Military Tribunal, the students visited the Zeppelinfeld, the site of Nazi Party rallies and now home to a Documentation Center dedicated to this ignominy. It was there that the Nuremberg Laws, which institutionalized racial persecution, were announced.

Thus, between Munich and Nuremberg, in two days, an arc of memory and learning could be traced: from human madness transformed into state policy to the responsibility demanded by law. The journey allowed for reflection on the rise of Nazism in Munich in the 1920s and the attempted coup of 1923; its rise to power in 1933 and the consolidation of terror; the concentration camps, the racial laws, and the university resistance in the 1930s; the Second World War and its horrors in the first half of the 1940s; and, finally, the demand for legal accountability from the international community from 1945 to 1949.

Medieval and university Germany

The story continued to unfold as the group traveled. On their journey from east to west across Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber welcomed them with its intact walls and magical streets, as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Central Europe.

On the opposite side of the country, they arrived in Heidelberg, a city of medieval origin, where they were able to visit Germany's oldest university. At its Faculty of Law, they were received by Professor Martin Borowski , who gave them a lecture on the characteristics of the Basic Law of Bonn.

Heading south, the group passed through Baden-Baden, a small city that retains the charm of the Belle Époque . Then it was time to leave Germany, cross the Rhine, and enter France.

Strasbourg: European institutions and law beyond borders

In Strasbourg, one of the most beautiful cities in France, the Journey of the Universidad Austral It focused on European institutions. The city's own history and architecture, fluctuating between German and French influences, reflects the political and territorial changes that Europe underwent for centuries, and the institutions it houses symbolize the search for unity after the Second World War.

During their two-day stay, the group visited the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights , a Council institution with jurisdiction over more than 700 million people. At the Council of Europe, they met with Amaya Ubeda , a professor of international law and a Spanish civil servant who has worked there for several years. At the Court, they met for more than two hours with Judge Canòlic Mingorance , who explained in detail how the Court works. Both institutions carry out extensive work in support of peace, the rule of law, and human rights.

“Every day we learned something new,” says Juana Isasmendi , “and that made each day different from the last. We learned so much. Being in places like Nuremberg Courtroom 600 or the European Court of Human Rights feels different: it’s one thing to read about those places and quite another to visit them.”

There was also time to visit Strasbourg's Gothic cathedral, which was the tallest building in the world for over 200 years, and to chat leisurely along the canals of the Petite France district.

Freiburg: more than 20 years of university exchange

Back in Germany, the group ventured into the Black Forest region. Freiburg im Breisgau offered the opportunity to explore a city with a strong university tradition, one of the oldest universities in the country, and an urban development plan focused on sustainability.

Alli They visited the Faculty of Law, with which Universidad Austral For over 20 years, we have maintained an academic exchange agreement that has allowed dozens of German students to spend a year in our classrooms. The visit was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen those ties.

The group was welcomed by the dean, Professor Jan Hoffmann, and the Faculty's Director of International Relations, Simone Bemmann. Professor Hoffmann gave a presentation explaining in detail how to study law in Germany and how to become a lawyer there.

Geneva: the inner sanctum of international institutions

In Switzerland, Geneva offered new perspectives. Almost everything in that city reflects the presence of international organizations. Among them, the European headquarters of the United Nations, in the historic Palace of Nations, stands out.

There, the members of the group of Universidad Austral were able to participate in a session of the Human Rights Council, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The city also offered an opportunity to learn about the history of Humanitarian Law , through a visit to the famous Alabama Room, the site of the signing of the First Geneva Convention , as well as the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the museum dedicated to the history of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the Law Trip was the afternoon reception hosted by Argentine professor Agustín Giustiniani, who presented the Master in International Dispute Settlement. The gathering continued with a cheese fondue by Lake Geneva and an Argentine-style karaoke session, much to the astonishment of the cosmopolitan city.

The Academic Journey Europe 2026 thus demonstrated, once again, one of its central characteristics: Law was not only found in books or classrooms. It was present in buildings, in cities, in courts, in universities, and also in the traces that history left on societies.

From major universities to art in cities

After two days in Geneva, the contingent embarked on the final leg of the journey, which included a visit to Lausanne and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, before crossing the Alps again and returning to Italy.

Milan , with its history, its architecture, its famous Duomo —a lacework of white stone— and its tradition linked to design and finance, was one of the group's last stops before arriving in Florence, a fundamental city for understanding the European Renaissance.

In Florence, the group encountered an essential part of Western cultural history: the centrality of the Duomo, and the works and names that made the city a true European cultural laboratory, from Michelangelo and Donatello to Machiavelli and Galileo.

It was also an opportunity for each member of the group to share their personal experiences and what the trip had meant to them, on a warm evening by the Duomo and the Baptistery. It was a particularly moving night, filled with stories, anecdotes, and expressions of gratitude. Juana Isasmendi recounts it this way: “ For me, the best part of the trip was the night in Florence, when we were in the square in front of the Duomo and each of us shared what we were taking away from the trip. It was a very special moment, one of those you never forget.”

The final leg of the journey took the law students from Austral University to Siena, Florence's historic rival, with its famous medieval square, where even today the different neighborhoods compete in thrilling horse races. From there they began their return to Rome and, finally, to Buenos Aires.

A Journey that Changes Perspectives

On the journey between one city and another, between a museum and a university, between a court and a cathedral, there were also many things that do not appear in any itinerary: the hours shared in the vans, the walks, the conversations and the daily coexistence.

“ I would say it was the best trip of my life,” says Álvaro Pezzali, from Second Year Pilar . “I feel that this was because it wasn’t just about traveling, but about sharing, helping each other, and getting to know one another. It was a continuous process of inner growth and love for others. More than highlighting a specific anecdote, I think the trip itself was an incredible experience, with lots of laughter and deep conversations with people I didn’t know before.”

On those stretches of road and the kilometers covered on foot, professors and students shared much more than academic activities: numerous topics, questions, and reflections arose, interwoven with anecdotes. For the Law School authorities, this is one of the most significant aspects when organizing these trips: precisely the comprehensive impact that such an experience has on the students.

“The impact of this Academic Trip on the 32 students was enormous, in so many areas of each of their lives ,” noted Fernando Toller. He also emphasized that they returned “ very happy and grateful to the Faculty they chose to study at.”

That joy is echoed in the students' voices. " I wanted to thank you for the amazing trip you organized. An incredible experience. I'm so happy, I came back feeling so fulfilled, because everything I experienced was so wonderful, " wrote Catalina Guido Lavalle, from Fourth Year Pilar. And she concluded: " Thank you so much for everything: I don't know how to thank you enough."

The Academic Trip to Europe 2026 is the fifth international trip organized by the Law degree program of the Universidad AustralIn addition to two editions held in the United States, there have now been three in Europe. These trips have become an established part of the Faculty's educational program and reflect an approach to university education that combines knowledge, experience, networking, and openness to the world.

The trip ended on September 21, when the group returned to Buenos Aires. In just over two weeks, the students traversed centuries of history: from the first European universities to the courts that shaped contemporary history; from the memory of the great tragedies of the 20th century to the institutions that today seek to build new forms of coexistence.

They returned with new cities, names, images, and knowledge, but also with a broader perspective on their studies and the paths their education can open. And they did so alongside their professors, on a trip where conversations and shared university life proved as important as the places they visited. Their legal, historical, cultural, artistic, spiritual, and institutional dimensions converged into another dimension: that of self-discovery and connection with others. For Catalina Pérez Irungaray, a first-year student in Pilar, " it was an experience that exceeded all my expectations. God places people and experiences in our path that have a purpose, and this trip was undoubtedly one of them."

Some journeys end when you return home. Others continue in how we reflect on what we've learned, in the questions we take away, and in the connections that remain. The Academic Journey Europe 2026 was of this second kind: a journey that, due to its profound formative and transformative impact, hasn't really ended; it has only just begun.