AUTH Law School and Trier University (Universität Trier) Law School, under the aegis of DAAD, have entered into a Partnership Agreement (Partnerschaftsvereinbarung) entitled “New challenges for society, economy and law in German-Greek comparative perspective” (“Neue Herausforderungen für Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Recht im deutsch-griechischen Vergleich”). The said Agreement has given rise to a successful cooperation, with a view to encouraging international scholarly debate and discussion of core contemporary issues in various fields of public law. Participants (including students, professors, researchers) are thus given the opportunity to become engaged in doctrinal issues in light of a comparative approach.
The partnership is coordinated by Prof. E. Hofmann (Universität Trier Law School), Prof. K. Gogos (AUTH Law School), and Associate Professor L. Papadopoulou (AUTH Law School).
Important international events have taken place in the context of this partnership, both in Thessaloniki and in Trier. These include: a five-day summer- or winter-school taking place annually, featuring daily lectures on a different subject-matter each academic year, visits to institutional forums such as the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and afternoon meetings fostering the exchange of views among participants; an annual meeting on a different subject-matter each time. These events alternate between the two Law Schools.
Lectures are offered in German (primarily) and in English, featuring law professors and instructors from Trier University Law, the University of Heidelberg, AUTH, as well as renowned judges, attorneys, and researchers. Law students from both AUTH and German universities (including Würzburg, Berlin and Trier Universities) have attended these lectures, actively participating in the ensuing debate. Participants also have the opportunity to follow a tour of the cities of Trier and Thessaloniki.
List of pertinent events:
– Greek-German workshop entitled “Democratic-Functional Analysis of Public Participation” (“Demokratisch-Funktionale Analyse der Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung”) [AUTH Law School, December 2014 (4-6.12.2014)].
– Winter school on “Public Participation and Environmental Law in a European Perspective” [Trier University Law School, December 2015 (7-11.12.2015)].
– Summer school on “Development of renewable energy sources in the EU” (“Der Ausbau der erneuerbaren Energien in der EU”) [AUTH Law School, September 2016 (6-10.9.2016)].
Workshop on “Development of renewable energy sources as a legal challenge” [AUTH Law School, 07.09.2016].
– Summer school on “Brexit-Now What?” [Trier University Law School (25-29.09.2017)].
– Follow-up meeting to the 2017 summer school on the subject of “The Brexit referendum and its upshots for the EU and its Member States” (“Das Brexit-Referendum und seine Folgen für die EU und Ihre Mitgliedstaaten”) [AUTH Law School, 13.10.2017].
– Workshop on “Public debt as a problem for democracy” (“Staatsverschuldung als Demokratieproblem”) [Trier University Law School (03.05.2018)].
– Summer school on “European governance with respect to economic and monetary policy as a problem of democracy” (“Europäische Steuerung der Wirtschafts- und Währungspolitik als Demokratieproblem”) [AUTH Law School, September 2018 (18-21.9.2018)]. In the context of the summer school, Ph.D. candidates were given the opportunity to develop their thoughts on the subject-matter of the summer school in the context of a Doktorandenkolloquium.
– Summer school entitled “Dysfunctional procurement law” (“Dysfunktionales Vergaberecht”) [Trier University Law School (23-27.09.2019)].
The partnership between the two law schools has been fruitful, as shown, inter alia, by the active interest displayed by Greek and German students alike. Students are indeed given the opportunity to engage in the discussion of difficult subject-matters at the core of doctrinal interest internationally. At the same time, the conclusions of meetings and colloquiums offer a useful review of the pertinent issues.
