Workshop “Of Borders, Law and the World”

The Point Alpha Research Institute (PARI), supported by Fulda University of Applied Sciences, the University of Erfurt, the Point Alpha Foundation, and the town of Geisa, is hosting the workshop “Of Borders, Law and the World” from December 8 to 10, 2024, at Schloss Geisa and the House on the Border/Point Alpha Memorial. Among other topics, the workshop will address these questions in a public, internationally attended expert discussion.

Based on the eponymous 2023 dialogue volume published by Harvard University Press, authored by the globally renowned international law scholars David Kennedy (Harvard) and Martti Koskenniemi (Helsinki), the workshop will explore challenges and perspectives for the international order and normative conflicts in international law. The venue itself is a key reference point for this interdisciplinary and intergenerational exchange, as it harkens back to the Cold War era.

Point Alpha represents a geopolitical focal point between “East” and “West” and between different orders, shaping the professional development of the two featured protagonists in their early careers and continuing to have an impact today.

The organizers, Alexandra Kemmerer, a member of PARI’s advisory board from the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg and Berlin, and Claudia Wiesner, a PARI directorate member from Fulda University of Applied Sciences, are intentionally fostering a discussion on global challenges within a local context. This context has been profoundly shaped by decades of global political events. They also aim to engage questions from the general public.

On Monday, December 9, 2024, a public panel discussion entitled “At the border: international law between decline and reorganization?” will take place at 7:00 pm in the Red Salon of Geisa Castle. Following a welcome address by Mayor Manuela Henkel, the panel will include David Kennedy (Harvard University) and Martti Koskenniemi (University of Helsinki), alongside Isabel Feichtner (University of Würzburg), Alexandra Kemmerer (MPIL Heidelberg/Berlin), and Claudia Wiesner (Fulda University of Applied Sciences). The discussion will be moderated by Maxim Bönnemann from Verfassungsblog. Contributions will be in both German and English, with translation available. Attendees are welcome to contribute in German.

An earlier English-language session, open to the public and scheduled from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, will feature a discussion with Malcolm Jorgensen, a former Australian diplomat currently researching at Humboldt University in Berlin. This session will delve into system conflicts, competing perspectives on international law and global norms, hegemony, and differentiation.Participants will have the opportunity to continue conversations with the experts during breaks and at a small reception following the panel discussion.

Attendance at both the panel and the earlier session is free of charge. Please register via email at kremer@pari-geisa.org.