VUB Contextual Research in Law

The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History worked in 2025-2026 on the theme " The End(s) of War" . Students from UPF Barcelona (prof. Alfons Aragoneses), CY Cergy Paris Université (Prof. Caroula Argyriadis-Kervégan), Univerza v Ljubljani (Prof. Katja Škrubej) and VUB (Prof. Frederik Dhondt ) worked hybridly, online and in-person. Following the peak event (February/March, this year in Barcelona ), students finalised their research. Every individual or collective contribution appears on the CoLeCo's blog from 9 June on. More information here .

(image source: Museu Nacional ) The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History will hold its annual peak event in Barcelona, where Prof. Alfons Aragoneses (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) welcomes student delegations from CY Cergy Paris Université (Prof. Caroula Argyriadis-Kervégan), Univerza v Ljubljani (Prof. Katja Škrubej) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Prof. Frederik Dhondt). A draft program has now been made available: Connected Learning Community – Legal History Peak event: February 27-28 2026 The End(s) of War Universitat Pompeu Fabra FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 9:00-09:30 Reception of participants 09:30-09:45 Welcome addresses 09:45-11:00 The Wars before 1914. Chair: Prof: Alfons Aragoneses. Pacifications during the Eighty Years War , Emma Wittens (VUB). The Ljubljana Congress (1821) in the aftermath of Napoleonic wars: between the legacy and memory in select Slovenian late 19th and 20th century sources , Nives Košnjek (UL). From Neutral Constraint to Sovere...

  The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History is delighted to welcome Prof. dr. Miloš Vec (Universität Wien) for its annual opening lecture on Friday 14 November 2025. Within the framework of this year's theme The End of War, Prof. Vec will address the following topic: After 1919 and after 1945: How two World Wars shaped German Thinking on International Law More information on the EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History's blog . 

  Call: EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History 2025-2026: The End of War (image: St-Germain-en-Laye : signature du traité de paix avec l'Autriche : les abords du château : [photographie de presse] / Agence Meurisse by Agence de presse Meurisse. Agence photographique - 1919 - National Library of France, France - No Copyright - Other Known Legal Restrictions; Source: Europeana ) De Terugkeer van Oorlog In 2022 keerde de oorlog terug naar het Europese continent, in Oekraïne – met tastbare gevolgen voor iedereen. Wie dacht dat we leefden in een wereld waar geweld tussen staten verboden is (art. 2(4) VN-Handvest), kreeg een harde waarschuwing. Dit benadrukt opnieuw de nood aan een juridische cultuur van vrede. Instellingen en normen stoppen het vechten niet, maar – zoals Anne Peters uitlegt – zelfs in een ‘ time of monsters ’ versterken de taal en de logica van het internationaal recht de internationale publieke opinie, het zogenaamde "tribunaal van de wereld...

(image source: EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History ) The 2024-2025 EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History: Collective and Individual Rights in Legal History contributions have been assembled in a virtual exhibition  by Lewis Twiby (PhD candidate, University of Warwick). Find out more on the EUTopia CoLeCo blog .

(Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick; source:  Wikimedia Commons ) EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History: Collective and Individual Rights in Legal History Thursday 13 – Saturday 15 March 2025 University of Warwick Following the editions in  Paris  (February 2022),  Ljubljana  (March 2023), and  Brussels  (March 2024), the University of Warwick (Dr. Rosie Doyle) will host the 2025 flagship event of the Connected Learning Community in Legal History, with the support of the participating institutions (University of Warwick, CY Cergy Université, University of Ljubljana, Vrije Universiteit Brussel).       Thursday 13 March     Arrival of all participants   19.00 Evening Meal, Coventry (exact location tbc)     Friday 14 March   Location: Warwick Innovation District, Junction Building 6 University Road University of Warwick Coventry, CV4 7EQ   09.00 – 17.30   09:00 - 09:30   09...

  (image source: EUTopia ) Students from the University of Warwick produced an episode of the Warwick History Hour, wherein they narrate their experience in the Connected Learning Community Legal History within our European University EUTopia. (source: EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History ) 

(image source: Warwick ) The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History announces this year's opening keynote lecture (26 November, 18:00 Brussels Time, Teams).  More information here .

In the academic year 2023-2024, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, CY Paris, the University of Warwick, the University of Ljubljana and Nova Lisboa brought together students, academic staff and external experts in the Connected Learning Community Legal History , this time around the theme connectedness in legal history . Students came together in Brussels in March for the peak event, and published their final output of this unique cross-campus learning experience on the blog of the Connected Learning Community. The virtual exhibition ( prezi ) combines all of their entries.

Four new contributions have been added on the EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History blog, authored by students from our partners CY Paris and Warwick. Read them here .

The VUB's Marcom services published pictures from the EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History Peak Event on flickr. More information here .

  (image source: EUTopia alliance ) The European University Alliance EUTopia offers PhD Scholarships  for projects in cotutelle between two partners.  The EUTopia website lists all available positions, for which the Vrije Universiteit Brussel can operate as host. 

  (click on images to enlarge; credits dr. Elisabeth Bruyère) Passive online participation is possible. Contact the organisers to obtain the MS Teams link. 

  (poster: credits dr. Elisabeth Bruyère) On 14 and 15 March 2024 , the EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History convenes in Brussels for its annual Peak Event. Students and staff from CY Paris, Ljubljana, Nova Lisboa and Warwick will present and discuss on work-in-progress around the annual theme connectnedness in legal history . A presentation of the theme can be found on the EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History's blog . The final program will be announced soon. This event is hybrid, a Teams-link can be provided upon request. 

(image source: EUTopia ) The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History: Connectedness in Legal History (VUB, CY Paris, Ljubljana, Nova Lisboa, Warwick) will convene in Brussels  for its peak event (2023-2024) on 14-15 March 2024 . Students from every institution are enrolled in this connected cross-campus, student-driven and multilingual learning environment. At the end of the road, they produce a virtual exhibition  (as in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 ).  More information on the CoLeCo's blog .

(bron afbeelding: EUTopia ) Connected Learning Community Legal History 2023-2024 EUTopia is de Europese universiteit waarvan de VUB een stichtend partner is. Gelanceerd door rector Caroline Pauwels zit het VUB-engagement intussen al in het vierde jaar. Ook jij kan als student iets betekenen. De Connected Learning Communities brengen studenten samen van verschillende partneruniversiteiten om samen te leren , aangestuurd vanuit de student. Deze “gemeenschappen” gaan uit van de eigenheid van elke partner (de urbane context, de studentenpopulatie) en zijn gericht op meertaligheid (je kan documenten uit je eigen taal presenteren, zolang er maar een Engelstalig abstract is). Sinds 2021-2022 draait de Connected Learning Community Legal History, onder andere door de hulp van externe experten die met het jaarthema al lang begaan zijn. We bestuderen juridische problemen van vandaag door juridische bronnen uit het verleden te bespreken. Ook dit jaar zullen studenten van de VUB (Prof. ...

  (group picture 9 March 2023; source: EUTopia CoLeCo Blog ) The student delegations from Nova Lisboa , Ljubljana , CY Paris , VUB and the University of Warwick have published their reports on the EUTopia CoLeCo Blog. Read them all here .

(Source: EUTopia Legal History Blog ) EUTopia Peak Event March 2023 From 9 to 12 March 2023 , students from the five partner universities will gather in Ljubljana for the EUTopia Peak Event on labour migration. More information and the full programme are available on:  EUTopia CoLeCo Blog  and EUTopia website (Source: EUTopia Legal History Blog )

(image source: EUTopia Legal History Blog ) CORE is engaged in the EUTopia Connected Learning Communities through the CoLeCo Legal History, wherein Prof. Dhondt (lead) and dr. Bruyère (TA) participate (assisted by dr. Cahen and dra. Ghulam Farag ) together with partners from France (CY Paris, prof. Argyriadis-Kervégan), Portugal (Nova Lisboa, Prof. Nogueira de Silva), the UK (Warwick, dr. Doyle/Bryan) and Slovenia (Prof. Skrubej). Lead, partners and students will convene in Ljubljana at the invitation of prof. Skrubej in March.  Interested in how the CoLeCo sees the common theme of labour migration from a legal history perspective ? Read the position paper here on the CoLeCo's blog .

(image source: Prof. Bastos )   Prof. Cristiana Bastos (Lisboa, ERC Advanced Grantee) will hold this year's opening lecture for the EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History:Labour Migration. The topic is "Across empires: plantation labour in the aftermath of abolition". Background reading can be found on Prof. Bastos' project website , and will be shared at registration. The Connected Learning Community Legal History:Labour Migration brings together the VUB, UPF Barcelona, Ljubljana, Warwick, Nova Lisboa and CY Paris. Five to eight students per institution work together on the common theme of Labour Migration .  The event will take place on Friday 21 October at 15:30 Brussels Time . Registration is mandatory with dr. Elisabeth Bruyère  (Elisabeth dot bruyère at vub dot be).