From 17 to 18 October 2024, the Institute of International Law organized a two-day doctoral seminar together with the University of Bonn. Under the direction of Prof. Erika de Wet and Prof. Matthias Herdegen, doctoral students presented current research findings related to their work. Students also had the opportunity to present international law topics and take part in exciting discussions.
On the first day of the seminar, the doctoral students presented excerpts from their dissertation projects. The topics ranged from legal problems in connection with rising sea levels to state immunity in Austrian civil proceedings. The regulation of genomically modified plants (NGT plants) under EU law was also discussed, as was the question of whether the European Central Bank has a climate policy mandate. The wide range of issues stimulated exciting discussions and showed that technical progress and climate change are giving rise to new legal considerations. As a result of the professional exchange, coupled with critical input by the two professors, the doctoral students were able to take away important insights for their ongoing scholarly work.
A further highlight of the seminar was a joint dinner, which gave the seminar participants the opportunity to get to know each other better in a relaxed atmosphere and to discuss the details and particularities of university life in Austria and Germany respectively.
The second day of the seminar began with two presentations by students from the University of Bonn, which were both related to the Russian war of aggression. The first presentation dealt with the complex issue of how the ICC can overcome the personal immunity of government members of third countries, while the second presentation raised the issue of the use of confiscated assets.
At the end of the seminar, Prof. Matthias Herdegen presented his recent books “Heile Welt in der Zeitenwende” and “Der Kampf um die Weltordnung”. He calls for less idealism and more realism in Europe’s approach to international politics but also emphasizes the continued importance of political discourse in Europe.
The Institute of International Law would like to thank all participants for the interesting discussions and the professional exchange and hopes to continue the cooperation in the near future.