VUB Contextual Research in Law

  The Faculty of Law and Criminology of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is proud to announce the very first edition of the NextGen Legal Scholars Conference (NLSC). This doctoral conference will take place on Friday March 20 th 2026 in Brussels (BE), featuring a fully in-person programme of keynote speeches and thematic panels . NLSC 2026 invites predoctoral and early postdoctoral legal researchers (within 2 years of finishing PhD) to reflect on the evolving role of law in times of structural uncertainty. Global crises are challenging the capacity of legal systems to maintain justice and stability. Ongoing wars and occupations have raised complex international law questions, such as the legality of interventions, state sovereignty, and the protection of human rights during armed conflicts. Populist and authoritarian regimes are continuously contesting democratic values and the rule of law, both on a domestic and international level. Deepening socioeconomic inequalities ha...