Hristo was based at the Trust’s Highgate house during September 2019.

The month I spent in London thanks to the Robert Anderson Trust was one of the most fruitful periods of my PhD studies.

The Highgate house where I was accommodated was comparatively close to the library of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the library of UCL (main building). In no more than 40 minutes by bus and underground both destinations can be reached. The house is situated in a calm and pleasant neighbourhood and our host, Mr Howard Davies, was very caring, polite and hospitable.

During the stay, a researcher has enough time to visit and use the resources of both aforementioned libraries, as well as others – the British Library, the LSE Library, etc. depending on the field of interest and the daily routine. The IALS library contains all the necessary resources for a comparative analysis of the major legal systems. Access to the library is ensured by a personal card which is issued the same day when the requested documents are presented (usually confirmation of status as a PhD candidate at a national academic institution, together with a letter from the inviting organization). Working hours are very convenient as the library closes at 11:00 pm, except for the summer (July-September) period, when it closes at 5:00 p.m. Depending on the time of the stay, the libraries and IALS in particular offer interesting and useful scientific seminars and courses which can be attended for free after online enrolling.

When not in the libraries and in nice weather, one can go sightseeing and join the city tours. Visiting the museums and the main cultural and historical places is a must. Most of them are free to enter and those that are paid are also worth visiting.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity given by the Robert Anderson Research Charitable Trust.