Critical Times
About
The Critical Times series is an innovative collaboration co-led by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Legal Studies at the University of Lucerne and the Centre for Law, Arts and Humanities at The Australian National University, and run in association with a global consortium of partner institutions.
The series was initially piloted in virtual form in 2021 and 2022. Due to the success of these events, the decision was made to develop the project into an annual summer school for graduate students, PhDs and early career researchers working at and around the intersections of law, the humanities and critical theory.
The Critical Times events nurture a spirit of intellectual openness and risk-taking. They offer a space for scholars from different disciplines, methodological orientations and backgrounds to come together and think – deeply, critically and creatively – about urgent matters of law, politics and justice.
The necessity for such thinking is as critical today as ever. The crises of our contemporary world are complex and layered. They demand open and deep theoretical reflection as well as new forms - and new scales - of imaginative visioning. Fired by the “fierce urgency of now”, the Critical Times series presents a unique opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in a week of critical thinking about the forces shaping our world, and of creative imagining of alternative possibilities.
From 2020 to 2023, the Critical Times project was generously funded by Movetia. Movetia promotes exchange, mobility and cooperation within the fields of education, training and youth work – in Switzerland, Europe and worldwide. www.movetia.ch.
Previous Events
June 2023: 5-day international workshop "Movement(s)"
September 2022: 3-day online Workshop "Futurity Now?"
September 2021: 24-hour online Workshop "For One Day Only: Law, Space, Matter"
Partners
The Critical Times series is a network-based collaboration led by:
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Legal Studies – lucernaiuris
- Centre for Law, Arts & Humanities, The Australian National University
in association with:
Contact
If you would like to join our mailing list to stay informed of upcoming events, please send a message to lucernaiuris@unilu.ch.
Please direct any enquiries to Dr. Steven Howe (steven.howe@unilu.ch).
Testimonials
Below is a selection of feedback from participants in the 2023 Critical Times workshop on Movement(s):
"I found the experience very rewarding – and as is often the case, the conversation in between sessions offered a lot of opportunity to delve further into ideas about research and collaboration. I have made relationships I will draw on in coming years."
"It was such a successful event from my perspective as participant! The seminar leaders and guest speakers were accomplished scholars in their own fields -- in the critical humanities, law and humanities, legal sociology, and other interdisciplinary fields -- who patiently shared with us their research, urged us to consider their implications on our own work, and generously responded to our working papers."
"I had a wonderful time at the Critical Times 2023 workshop and really appreciate all the efforts of the organizers and presenters in putting together such a compelling program."
"The composition of the participant group was fantastic. We had a really exceptional cohort of young academics, I made a lot of valuable connections over the week and just generally had a great time."
"This event truly inspired me, and I came back to my home university with hope and passion to continue my academic journey. The sense of community that permeated throughout the workshop played a vital role in fostering this hopeful atmosphere."
"The organisation of the week of lectures and seminars was almost perfect. I personally really appreciated the division of the days: in the morning the seminar, in the afternoon the presentation sessions. Having the opportunity to present my paper and being able to discuss it for an hour with colleagues from the most diverse legal cultures was a truly enriching opportunity."