“Changing Legal Orders between the EU and Russia: Constitutional Processes in the Eastern Partnership”

August 2021, Yerevan

In August 2021 the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies will hold its inaugural Summer School on ‘Constitutional Processes in the Eastern Partnership’. The Summer School aims to bring together students and researchers from Eastern Partnership and EU countries to examine the processes of constitutional transformation in the post-Soviet space, with a particular focus on Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It shall be interdisciplinary, combining the approaches of Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, Political Science, and Legal Anthropology.

The Summer School consists of four parts:

➢ Part I introduces students to the fundamental questions of Constitutional Theory focusing on the concept of a constitution, constitutional design, constitutional culture and identity and various forms and contexts of a constitutional change.

➢ Part II explores the tendencies and dynamics of constitutional reforms in the EaP and CEE regions with a specific focus on constitutional reforms in Armenia.

➢ Part III pays attention to the principles of the Rule of Law and Good Governance, the practice of their implementation and their role in shaping the constitutional landscapes in the societies in transition. The focus is on the judiciary and anti-corruption reforms.

➢ Part IV, finally, explores the influences of external actors on the process of constitutional transformation in the EaP and CEE countries.

The Summer School will consist of interactive, discussion-based seminars, alongside meetings with local stakeholders involved in the constitutional reform process in Armenia as well as visits to Armenian government and judicial institutions. Participants will also be expected to conduct a group research project, where they will produce an analysis of the most recent constitutional developments in Armenia or another Eastern Partnership country.

Participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and 3 ECTS points.

The Summer School is aimed at students (advanced Bachelor, Master or PhD) of the following disciplines:

➢ Law

➢ Political Science/sociology

➢ International Relations

➢ (Eastern) European Studies

Participation Fee: 500EUR

Participants from Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova & Ukraine ) can apply for a tuition fee waiver

Required Application Documents:

➢ Passport Copy

➢ Motivation Letter

➢ CV

Application deadline: 15.06.2021

The lectures of the School will be taught by the core faculty (CIdS BSU) and established guest speakers (scholars and practitioners).

Core Faculty:

Dr. Anna Khvorostiankina - Associate Professor of Law at the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights, Democracy and Political Science, Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, BSU

Thomas Barrett, Research Fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Graduate of the University of Oxford

About the University:

Founded in 1935 as an institution for pedagogical training for language specialists, the Brusov State University became the centre of foreign language education in Soviet Armenia. In the early 2000s, the university introduced numerous Social Science disciplines including Political Science, International Relations and European Studies. More information can be found here: https://brusov.am/en/page_list/history/#sthash.K8Rjnu5w.dpbs

Program (provisional):