MIDS ALUMNI PORTRAIT SERIES — From Bogotá to Brussels: Building a career in arbitration The journey of Juan Camilo Jiménez Valencia

I joined the MIDS after four years as an associate in the Litigation and Arbitration team at Dentons in Bogotá, followed by a six‑month internship with the International Arbitration team at Latham & Watkins in Paris. The MIDS was a decisive step in shaping my career and fully opening the door to working in Europe. Academic excellence was certainly a priority, but this could have been achieved in many other well‑regarded LL.M. programmes around the globe. The distinctive factor - and the reason I applied exclusively to the MIDS - was its relatively small cohort of highly qualified and diverse candidates, guided by leading professors who were also active practitioners, and supported by a top‑notch career services programme.

Hands down, it was my friends and colleagues from the 2017-2018 batch. I had the privilege of being surrounded by some of the brightest people I know, with entirely diverse personal and professional backgrounds. A few of them knew how smart they were; others, although never making a point of showing off, simply could not hide how utterly brilliant they were. Either way, I had the unique opportunity of learning from all of them, inside and outside the classroom.

The MIDS network has had-and continues to have-a tremendous influence on my career. While enrolled at the MIDS, I was offered to join Hanotiau & van den Berg as an associate, to work in the team led by Professor Bernard Hanotiau upon graduation. I can positively say that the former HVDB, and all the firms that have emerged since its dissolution, have been and remain MIDS enthusiasts. The partners fully trust that MIDS alumni have solid academic backgrounds and are hardworking and trustworthy professionals. During the eight years I worked under the wing of Professor Hanotiau, I learned from the best mentors and colleagues and am deeply grateful for their help in shaping the lawyer I am today. Truth be told, the first step in this ladder of transformative events in my life was joining the MIDS. Even today, after establishing my own practice at Jiménez Valencia Arbitration, I have been offered opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from the MIDS network.

I regret not having told the faculty at the time that I thought - and still believe - that the MIDS programme was unnecessarily burdensome. In my view, the volume of mandatory readings was excessive, and the marginal utility of each additional reading did not justify the effort required simply to stay afloat. Reflecting on this with friends and colleagues who have completed MBAs or other LL.M. programmes, I genuinely believe that some of that time could have been better invested in additional networking opportunities, job applications, or mock interviews aimed at securing a position after graduation. I appreciate the opportunity to finally share my views on this issue.

I would put mediation front and centre in international dispute settlement. Without being blind to the difficulties of effectively achieving a settlement, if feasible, it is simply the most efficient way of resolving a conflict.

It was truly a happy year in my life, so singling out one particular moment seems somewhat unfair. However, one of the most memorable moments was Professor Kohen's asado by the lake on a sunny day when Geneva shone in all its splendour. Aside from my love for good meat, as a Latin American myself, this event was full of symbolism. Students and professors were breaking bread (choripán, to be precise) and sharing our cultures in a joyful atmosphere, in a city that embodies both multiculturalism and multilateralism. It was during the 2018 World Cup, and some of us, hoping to get into the Argentinians' good graces, began chanting a then‑popular song that highlighted the football rivalry between Argentina and Brazil. Professor Kohen intervened immediately. With a broad smile and a firm yet kind tone, he told us that his event was not the place for such teasing, even if done in a friendly spirit. A true gentleman, he earned my lasting respect through a simple yet meaningful gesture.

Above all, have a clear objective, give your best to obtain it, and be open‑minded when life shows you that there are other paths ahead. As with all species, adaptability is key. Finally, in the words of Robert Frost, if two roads diverge in a yellow wood, always take the road less travelled by.