Leiden student wins ECHO Loyens & Loeff Law & Tax Award
Leiden Business Law student Raz Ahmad has won the ECHO Loyens & Loeff Law & Tax Award 2019. The ECHO Awards are presented each year to excellent students in higher education with a non-western background.
In addition to Raz, Nebeela Hussain, who is studying Tax Law at Leiden University, was also competing for the award. Chelsea Schuin, a recent graduate of the Advanced Master in International Children's Rights, was nominated for the ECHO WO Award.
Accessible job market
'Yes, I'm naturally delighted with this award', Raz says. 'It was an exciting and valuable experience. I had to give a pitch and was quite nervous about it, but I was supported really well by people from the University.' In her pitch she talked among other things about making the job market in the legal profession more accessible.
'Organizations are often concerned about meeting a certain quota without being aware of the added value of diversity.'
Raz Ahmad
Authentic voice
Raz impressed the jury with her sharp analysis of the challenges related to diversity and inclusivity that exist in the legal sector and the concrete ideas she sees as solutions. 'In a very natural manner, she links personal experience to professional ambitions and identity. Raz is not afraid of letting her authentic voice be heard, but in doing so she is constantly conscious of creating room for the voices of others. As a result Raz is the winner of the Loyens & Loeff Law & Tax Award.'
Summer Course
The four category winners of the ECHO awards have won a summer course at the University of California in the United States. Raz: 'A fantastic opportunity. In the coming weeks I will be looking at which course I would like to do. I have just started a master's degree in Business Law and at the moment I am very interested in a career as a lawyer, but who knows what can change in a year!'