31.08.2009
Research on “Successful Dispute Resolution in International Law” in Heidelberg
A new institute in Heidelberg has recently launched a programme of study on current issues relating to “Successful Dispute Resolution in International Law” for which the Max Planck Society has approved grant funds of 730,000 euros for the next three years. The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) intends to use the funding to award 20 scholarships. Heidelberg University has also announced that the project may be extended for a further period of three years. The new school is intended for candidates working towards doctoral degrees in jurisprudence, political science, sociology and psychology and operates under the aegis of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and the University’s Institute for Comparative and International Private and Commercial Law.
When the IMPRS takes up its work in 2010 its core field of inquiry will be the conditions and constraints which are essential for the successful resolution of international conflicts – particularly for cases brought before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Academic research will also be undertaken on investment disputes, commercial arbitration, national bankruptcy and alternative methods of dispute resolution.
The IMPRS is part of the existing “Successful International Dispute Resolution” doctoral college run by the University’s Law Faculty. The new school will deepen the existing close scholarly cooperation between the Faculty and the Max Planck Institute at which a number of doctoral candidates already work. Both institutions have established strong reputations on the international stage and provide governments and international bodies and courts with consulting support on matters relating to public international law. The Heidelberg Max Planck Institute is also involved in setting up judicial and administrative systems in crisis regions such as Afghanistan and Sudan. The Institute has a library of almost 600,000 volumes – one of the biggest libraries for European law, public international law and comparative public law in the whole of Europe.
