Basics of Law

In the fall semester 2025, the group for the foundations of law disciplines will again offer a colloquium for doctoral and post-doctoral students as part of the faculty doctoral programme. You will have the opportunity to present your topic for discussion as well as engage in an exchange with other researches of this topic. 

The colloquium does not focus solely on projects highlighting topics from the fundamental area of law. Rather, taking into account the legal foundations should broaden your perspective and benefit projects that focus on dogmatic subjects. The goal is not to encourage you to develop a fundamental reference, although you are free to do so. Instead, the objective of the course is to draw your attention to the fundamental aspects of your work and to encourage you to explore the issues in greater depth by asking fundamental questions.

You are expected to briefly introduce your topic and disclose any difficulties or open questions. Then, the path and/or diversions of your project should be explained in your presentation. It is particularly important that you explain how you developed your perspective and the methodology you selected. A comprehensive discussion should follow the 20-minute presentation. While there are always clear references to topics regarding the foundations of law, you are not necessarily expected to include or point them out in your presentation. The concept, the question, analytical depth, and a systematic approach are the most essential factors. 

6 ECTS points are awarded for successful participation in this course. The basis of the assessment is your presentation and active participation in the discussion; no grades will be awarded.

If you are interested in our colloquium, please send a postal or electronical confirmation by 14 November 2025 at the latest to:

Universität Zürich
Rechtswissenschaftliche Fakultät
Lehrstuhl Prof. Dr. Andreas Thier, M. A.
Frau Tuyet Sa Meier
Rämistrasse 74 / 11
CH-8001 Zürich

or

lst.thier@ius.uzh.ch

Please indicate the topic of your project, your matriculation number and your contact details. It would also be helpful for our preparations if you could let us know at what stage you are in your doctoral studies (or your habilitation project). Furthermore, we kindly ask you to submit a short outline of your project (maximum 3 pages) by 19 December 2025, which should provide the other participants with preliminary information on your topic and structure of your work.

We will send you the exact schedule and the link to the Zoom meeting as soon as the registration deadline has passed or the number of available places has been reached. If the number of appications received exceeds the number of places available, a decision will be made according to the principle of priority.