Announcements: Evolutionary Interpretation in Different International Legal Systems Conference; IMPRS-SDR Applications for PhD Proposals

1. University of Geneva Conference: Evolutionary Interpretation in Different International Legal Systems. On 4 – 5 October 2018, the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva is hosting a conference entitled Evolutionary interpretation in different international legal systems. Evolutionary interpretation is an intriguing and fundamental concept in international law. It allows for the interpretation of treaty provisions by taking into account, emerging factual and legal situations, changes in international law, new social considerations, technological improvements or environmental concerns that did not exist at the time of the conclusion of the treaty. Whether this evolutionary reading of terms occurs by virtue of the generic nature of the terms in the treaty, the contemporary meaning of such terms, the object and purpose of the treaty or the immediate or remote context of the treaty, evolutionary interpretation allows the terms of a treaty to adapt to the passage of time. This conference aims to facilitate thematic discussions on the topic of evolutionary interpretation. These discussions will allow for a broader understanding of the approaches to evolutionary interpretation in various areas of international law, as well as a comparison of these approaches. The programme can be found here. Further information can be found on the conference’s website. Attendance is free, but registration is mandatory. To register for the conference or to ask questions, send an email before 25 September to clement.marquet {at} unige(.)ch.

2. IMPRS-SDR Applications for PhD Proposals. The International Max Planck Research School for Successful Dispute Resolution in International Law (IMPRS-SDR) is accepting applications for PhD proposals within the research areas of the Department of International Law and Dispute Resolution and the Department of European and Comparative Procedural Law to fill a total of 5 funded PhD positions at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural law. The IMPRS-SDR was established in 2009 to bring together academics and practitioners in international dispute settlement with excellent PhD candidates to examine and compare international dispute resolution from a legal and interdisciplinary perspective. Selected PhD candidates will receive full-time research contracts of initially two years, with a possible extension. For further information please see here. The closing date for applications is 31 August 2018.