Summer School „IT Law and Legal Informatics“ for young researchers from all over the world

Autonomous systems, privacy and Big Data, IT Security as well as questions surrounding Legal Tech: these are the topics which will be covered by the “Summer School 2017”. This Summer School is being run by Saarland University’s Institute of Legal Informatics. It is aimed at Law and Legal Informatics graduates as well as graduates from other areas of study to which IT Law and Legal Informatics are relevant. The Summer School will take place from 21st August to 1st September 2017 and will feature sessions on the key issues of IT Law and Legal Informatics led by renowned experts in these fields from Japan, Austria, the UK and Germany. The deadline for applications from young researchers is 28th May.

The Summer School will be held at Saarland University’s Campus in Saarbrücken. The academic program will take place at the University’s Graduate Centre (Building C9 3).  There is no charge to participate in the Summer School. The number of participants is limited to 28. More information about the conditions of participation and how to apply can be found at www.summerschool-itlaw.org.

Self-driving cars, machines which operate autonomously, hacker attacks and cyber-crime, the pros and cons of digital data: technology is digitalising and connecting the world at great speed and we are faced with internationally relevant questions of law and security to the same extent and at the same speed. Professor Borges, Managing Director of the Institute of Legal Informatics at Saarland University explains that “digitalisation presents researchers from different fields enormous challenges and opportunities. Our aim for the Summer School is to provide young researchers from all over the world with an international forum in which they can discuss current hot topics with renowned experts as well as the opportunity to present their own research.”

“IT Law and IT Security pose extremely difficult questions and issues for society. Finding answers and solutions requires cross-border discussion and collaboration and it is precisely this goal which we are striving to achieve with the Summer School” explains Professor Borges further.

“Artificial Intelligence and the Law”, “Autonomous Systems”, “The Internet of Things and IT Security”, “Data Protection and Big Data” as well as the use of “IT Technology in the judiciary and in the provision of legal services” are the topics which will be covered by the Summer School. Sessions will be led by an international panel of experts comprising of Professor Takehiko Kasahara (Toin University of Yokohama), Professor Fumio Shimpo (Keio University, Toyko) and Professor Mayu Terada (International Christian University, Tokyo) from Japan, Professor Burkhard Schäfer (University of Edinburgh) from the UK, Professor Erich Schweighofer (University of Vienna) from Austria as well as Professor Georg Borges and Professor Christoph Sorge from Saarland University.

The Institute of Legal Informatics is one of Germany’s leading research institutions in the field of IT-Law and Legal Informatics. Our researchers are currently involved in numerous projects dealing with key legal questions: examples of which include the fundamental questions of IT Law posed by Industry 4.0, digitalisation of road traffic, the security of data in the cloud as well as questions of data protection and the use of electronic records in the judiciary. Georg Borges explains that “with its focus on IT Law, IT Security, Data Protection and Legal Informatics, the Institute of Legal Informatics covers a wide area of the interface between Information Technology and Law from a legal, technical as well as international perspective.”

Further Information:www.summerschool-itlaw.org
http://rechtsinformatik.saarland/

Contact details for the press:
Prof. Dr. Georg Borges: Tel 0681/302-3105, E-Mail: ls.borges@uni-saarland.de

Information for radio journalists: telephone interviews in studio quality are possible via the radio-codec (IP connection with direct dial or via “ARD-Sternpunkt” 106813020001). Contact 0681/302-2601, or -64091.

Background:

Saarland University’s Institute of Legal Informatics

Four professorial chairs from Saarland University and one professorial chair from the University of Luxembourg work together at the Institute of Legal Informatics. The directors are Professors Georg Borges, Philippe Cossalter, Christoph Sorge and Stephan Weth, Maximilian Herberger as well as Marc Cole from Luxembourg. Students at Saarland University are able to specialise in IT Law and Legal Informatics early in their studies. One of the few possibilities available nationally to obtain a recognised qualification in this area of law is offered by the Institute: the Certificate in IT Law and Legal Informatics. The Certificate’s study program is designed to take two semesters to complete. It is modular and, whilst it is aimed at law students, legal trainees and law graduates, it is open to students of all faculties at Saarland University. In addition, students can choose to study a special elective subject area which takes two semesters as part of their legal studies. The IT Law Forum based in Saarbrücken, the Information and Media Law Colloquium and the German Conference in Information Technology are also organised and co-ordinated by the Institute of Legal Informatics. The Institute of Legal Informatics works closely with Professor Michael Backes’ Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability. Saarland University is one of the leading locations for IT Security in Germany.