From 21 April to 1 May 2025, the Europa-Institut hosted the Spring School on Good Governance of Raw Materials, welcoming twelve selected Ph.D. and Master’s in Law students for a unique academic and cultural exchange. The program, a collaboration with the Tashkent State University of Law (Uzbekistan), offered participants a rich and intensive learning experience that blended academic excellence with real-world insight.

Over the course of ten days, students immersed themselves in a wide-ranging curriculum led by distinguished faculty, including Prof. Dr. Marc Bungenberg, Director of the Europa-Institut and Jean Monnet Chair for Sustainable and Secure EU Raw Materials Law and Policy, Prof. Dr. Robert Frau, Professor of Public Law, in particular Energy and Environmental Law at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Dr. Philipp Reinhold, Europa-Institut, and Dr. Mareike Fröhlich, Europa-Institut. The interactive lectures invited discussion, critical thinking, and student-led presentations—turning theory into dialogue and encouraging active engagement.

But the Spring School went far beyond the classroom. Participants explored the practical dimensions of raw materials governance through a series of targeted excursions. Highlights included a visit to Strasbourg, where students toured the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, as well as excursions to the Völklingen Ironworks—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—and to Frankfurt, where they visited the German Stock Exchange and the renowned law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

The program also offered space for cultural exploration, with a free day for students to discover a nearby city at their own pace—blending professional development with personal discovery.

This multi-faceted approach gave participants not only a deeper understanding of governance in the raw materials sector but also the chance to connect with professionals and institution shaping the future of European and international resource law.

In addition to the Spring School held in April 2025, two doctoral students from Tashkent University of Law began their one-month research stay at the Europa-Institut at Saarland University as part of the 2025 East-West Dialogue.

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the Spring School “Dispute Settlement & the Rule of Law”, which took place at the Europa-Institut of Saarland University from April 14 to 21, 2024. During this event, students from our partner university, the Tashkent State University of Law in Tashkent, had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of dispute settlement and the rule of law. Through a series of lectures by our experts, including Prof. Dr. Marc Bungenberg and other renowned lecturers, the students discussed the topic and exchanged their knowledge.

In addition, the students had the opportunity to visit Strasbourg, where they gained an insight into the work of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They also had the honor of meeting Judge Ivana Jelić, who represents Montenegro and answered the students' questions about her work as a judge at the ECtHR.

The students also visited the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in Frankfurt. Here they received practical insights from Europa-Institut alumni Dr. Adilbek Tussupov and Dr. Andrés E. Alvarado-Garzón, two lawyers who specialize in international investment arbitration.
The students got to know the Europa-Institut and were given a tour of the library of the Europa-Institut, which is one of around 50 European documentation centers in Germany.At the welcome and farewell dinner, the participants had the opportunity to get in touch with the local restaurant culture and discuss the lecture topics.Overall, the Spring School was a success and we look forward to welcoming our partners from Tashkent State University of Law to the Europa-Institut again in the future!

The Spring School was financially supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Academic Exchange Service.

In addition to the Spring School held in April 2024, a guest semester for a total of three scholarship holders from Tashkent University of Law at Saarland University's Europa-Institut had been planned as part of the East-West Dialogue 2024.