Annual Postgraduate Conference in International Law and Human Rights
Conflict and Contestation in International Law.
21-22 July 2025, University of Liverpool.
The International Law and Human Rights Unit, part of the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool, warmly invites postgraduate research students to its Annual Postgraduate Conference in International Law and Human Rights, which will take place between 21st-22nd July 2025. This year, the conference theme is Conflict and Contestation in International Law. We are happy for the conference theme to be broadly construed.
Call for papers
We encourage paper and poster proposals from postgraduate students specialising in international law, human rights or related subjects and welcome contributions from doctrinal, normative, historical, conceptual and comparative perspectives. The conference offers a unique opportunity for postgraduate students to present and discuss their work in a stimulating and friendly academic environment, among peers with similarly oriented research interests.
‘Soapbox’ session
In addition to traditional paper and poster formats, we also welcome proposals for our ‘soapbox session’. Here, speakers have just 5 minutes to air a controversial legal argument against the clock. They then have 10 minutes to defend this view against a critical audience! This is a dynamic forum for short presentations on bold ideas or controversial legal views.
Conference keynote
We are delighted to announce that Professor Christine Schwöbel-Patel, University of Warwick, will deliver the conference keynote address. Professor Schwöbel-Patel is a world-renowned international lawyer, known for adopting a critical position on contemporary issues of public international law, whether that is global constitutionalism, international criminal law, or climate justice. Professor Schwöbel-Patel has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications, as well as two monographs (Marketing Global Justice, Cambridge University Press 2021 and Global Constitutionalism in International Legal Perspective, Martinus Nijhoff 2011), and two edited collections (Aesthetics and Counter-Aesthetics of International Justice, Counterpress 2024) and Critical Approaches to International Criminal Law, Routledge 2014). Her forthcoming book Green Frontiers: The Laws of Extraction in the Green Transition is under contract with Verso.
How to submit
Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words along with a short biography (no more than 100 words) to ilhruconf@liverpool.ac.uk (any questions should also be directed to the same). Please indicate whether you are applying to present a paper, poster or soapbox.
Applicants are welcome to submit proposals for more than one format. The deadline for submissions is 14th April 2025. Notification of acceptance will be given by 18th April 2025.
Please note that if your abstract is accepted there will be a conference participation fee of £50.00. The expectation is that the fee will be paid by your home institution. If you are unable to secure funding, please let us know and we can consider a fee waiver.
We look forward to welcoming you to the University of Liverpool!