From June 17 to 20, the Institute of Advanced Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University hosted an international academic colloquium titled “Advanced Faculty Colloquium – Law in a Changing World." The event was organized by the Emerging Fields team “Centre for Global & Multi-level Governance" at IDUB, Nicolaus Copernicus University, in collaboration with the Institute for Global Law & Policy at Harvard Law School and the Center for Global Law and Justice at Northeastern University School of Law.
The event focused on the most significant challenges facing contemporary law in the context of dynamic political, social, economic, and technological changes. Participants discussed, among other topics, global hierarchies and the changing architecture of the world order, contemporary understandings of development, the relationship between law and politics, post-Soviet spaces, authoritarianism, and the role of identity in the analysis of contemporary socio-political processes.
The event featured researchers representing renowned academic institutions from Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world, including Harvard Law School, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Northeastern University School of Law, SOAS University of London, the University of Cambridge, Sciences Po Law School, New York University, the University of Texas at Austin, Queen Mary University of London, and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.
A highlight of the program was the open lecture “Subjects of Change: Technology, Law, and Culture" delivered by Prof. Sheila Jasanoff of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The speaker is among the most influential researchers studying the social, legal, and political dimensions of science and technology.
The colloquium culminated in a panel discussion titled “Law, Power, and Politics in a Rapidly Shifting Global Architecture". The discussion focused on the relationship between law, power, and politics in the context of a rapidly changing global architecture. Panelists reflected on how law functions in the face of contemporary geopolitical tensions, shifts in the international order, growing inequalities, and challenges to democracy, human rights, and global governance institutions. Participants in the discussion included Dr. hab. Marcin Kilanowski, professor at Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU); Prof. Günter Frankenberg; Prof. David Kennedy; and Prof. Vasuki Nesiah. The discussion was moderated by Dr. hab. Michał Balcerzak, professor at NCU.
The colloquium was funded by “Excellence Initiative – Research University" programme. The event was organized by the Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University.
