From October 7 to 9, 2024, the University of Szczecin will host an international scientific conference in the format of a Humboldt-Kolleg entitled “Challenges of comparative law in the 21st century”. The project is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Polish-German Foundation for Science and organized under the auspices of the Polish Association of Scholars of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum.
Comparative law nowadays plays a major role in legal scholarship and legislation alike. Despite considerable efforts towards harmonisation, the ultimate goal of comparative law to achieve some kind of “droit commun de l’humanité” has not been fully achieved. Noteworthy are the attempts to harmonize legal regulations within the European Union. They are however limited and possible only in certain areas of law. In view of the apparent tendency to nationalize legal systems, one can even see tendencies towards a marginalization of comparative law. One of the symbols of this phenomenon is Brexit. At the same time, one can see many changes in the methodological approach itself. While at the end of the twentieth century, comparative law was dominated by the functional method, newer trends focus on empirical methods, rely on the contextualization of comparative law, and pay more attention to the comparison of specific behavior and social phenomena. The understanding of comparative law is also significantly influenced by the incorporation of postmodern concepts and the advent of decolonial thinking. Such plenitude of methods is fully understandable only to specialists. In view of this, efforts must be made to refragmentise comparative law. The Humboldt Kolleg will try to contribute to this endeavour.
The main topic of the conference is comparative law in a broad sense. The different panels stimulate academic discussion on various aspects of comparative law. This international scientific event will allow a global exchange of ideas. Young scientists will have the opportunity to establish scientific and research contacts. Scientists from all over the world specializing in legal comparatistics will come to Szczecin. Some of them, among others, from Germany, Georgia, Peru, South Africa, Switzerland, the United States, Italy, Slovenia, China, Portugal, Namibia and Japan have already confirmed their participation.
The conference is co-organized by the University of Szczecin, the European University Viadrina and the University of Konstanz – alma maters of the initiators of this special event: Professor Arkadiusz Wudarski and Professor Michael Stürner. Both Scientists are scholars of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Professor Arkadiusz Wudarski and Professor Michael Stürner already work together for 15 years. Their joint projects include co-publications, jointly organised conferences, international grants, joint research projects and lectures. Their area of scientific expertise is in particular comparative private law.
PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PROGRAM
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