Münster: Millions in funding for interdisciplinary legal research!

Münster: Millions in funding for interdisciplinary legal research!

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has decided to support the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Unity and Diversity in Law” (EViR) at the University of Münster with around 7.7 million euros for another four years. This support ensures that the college starts the second funding phase from June 2025, which can last up to a maximum of twelve years. The college examines the interplay between legal unity and legal diversity in various societies from ancient times to the present day. This serves the aim of making well-founded contributions to legal research and better understanding the legal framework.

As part of this funding, a public conference entitled “Causes for Diversity in Law” will take place from April 7th to 9th in the Professional School of the University of Münster. Participation in this conference is free of charge. uni-muenster.de reports that since its founding in 2021, the college has established itself as a center for interdisciplinary and cross-epoch legal research. Every year, the college invites around ten guest scientists from all over the world who can follow their work in Münster and participate in an international exchange.

Change in the board of directors

A personnel change in the college's board of directors is imminent. Dr. In the future, Ulrike Ludwig will work together with Prof. Dr. Nora Markard, who holds the chair for international public law and international human rights protection, will lead the college. Prof. Dr. Peter Oestmann will remain with the college, but will pursue other projects. Markard highlights the importance of the connection between historical research and current debates in current law.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg not only supports individuals, but also the scientific community as a whole. These colleges offer humanities and social scientists the opportunity to conduct independent research and offer an interdisciplinary approach that supports cross-cultural studies and innovative research approaches. BMBF funding has proven to be successful and contributes to the internationalization of the humanities in Germany. humanities-and-social sciences-bmbf.de explains that the funding line, which was evaluated as outstanding in 2017, also offers the opportunity to support transdisciplinary colleges.

Research in context

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Unity and Diversity in Law” is one of a number of research initiatives that are carried out in Germany under the label of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg. These colleges aim to create a space for exchange between different knowledge cultures and to develop new perspectives. At the same time, the college also supports smaller subjects and promotes the interface to other disciplines. In addition, offers intr2dok.vifa-recht.de important access to publications and research results in the field of law, which further strengthens and networks the collegial research environment.

Overall, the development of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Unity and Diversity in Law” shows the dynamism and innovative power of legal research in Germany and the continuous support from the BMBF, which enables scientists to work at a high level and independently.