Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course will allow students to explore how the legal instruments adopted and initiatives taken by the European Union institutions in an attempt to promote, regulate or oversee technological innovations within its internal market.
As technological innovations take place everywhere and at an increasing pace, the purpose of this course is not to give a classical ex cathedra overview of how EU law responded to those developments. The purpose of this course is rather to allow each student to choose a topic she/he wants to work on and to prepare a written paper and oral presentation on that topic. Together, the different oral presentations will constitute the starting point for a collective class discussion on how the European Union and its legal order deal with technological innovations.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This course will not be taught in an ex cathedra manner, but will rather be structured as a seminar. It will allow students to work autonomously on a subject related to EU law and technological innovation, permitting to deepen one's knowledge of that particular subject. The purpose of this course is to supervise and coach every student over the course of the semester, allowing them to develop his or her knowledge of that subject.
In addition, the course also aims to contribute to the development of students' soft skills (writing and presentation skills). Multiple feedback sessions will be organised in order to allow students to improve and refine those skills.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Droit institutionnel européen; some basic knowledge of EU law is required.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
This course will not be taught in a classical ex cathedra manner. It will be organised rather as an intensive seminar, in which students will work autonomously under the close and frequent supervision of the professor throughout the different stages of writing and refining of the written work requirement. Following types of class sessions are foreseen:
- two ex cathedra sessions: the specific aim of those sessions is, in contrast to more introductory courses, not to offer all answers or a complete picture of the relationship between European Union law and technological innovation. They rather aim to stimulate reflections on the state of the law and to raise a number of questions that could be used as a starting point for independent written work requirements in the next stages of the course. As a result, the sessions will above all point to open issues and debates in this field of law;
- five individual feedback sessions: those sessions will enable students to have frequent individual or small group meetings with the professor to discuss their progress, both in terms of content and of writing style. The aim of those sessions is to offer a more individual and intensified supervision process;
- three presentation sessions in which students will present their papers and engage with their fellow students in an informed discussion;
- on top of the regular sessions, the professor will be available for supplementary feedback moments over the course of the semester, in order to make sure every student chooses a topic of their liking and succeeds in developing the topic in a clear and well-structured paper.
The main aim of this mode of delivery is to teach students how to reflect critically on a subject matter and how to take a position in debates surrounding that matter. Inspired by teaching seminars in the Netherlands (called a Privatissimum course, which the professor previously taught at Leiden University), the course above all wants to increase writing and presentation skills of students, better preparing them for the challenges of the professional world.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
This course proposes a semester-long individualised supervision to students preparing a paper on the subject-matter of this course.
Students will be requested to write a 3000 words paper on a theme covered by the course.
Recommended or required readings
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Assessment methods and criteria
In terms of evaluation, the acquisition of skills necessary for any lawyer (identifying the problem, drafting a written outline, offering comments on developments) will be emphasised. The ex cathedra sessions are limited and replaced by an individual supervision and evaluation system focused on preparing and presenting a written paper.
Every student will be required to prepare a paper on a subject related to the course theme. The paper, which may not be longer than 3000 words (7 to 8 pages), will offer an autonomous analysis of one of the questions/problems touched upon by this course. To that extent, students will first identify a research question, come up with a plan and write a first draft, on which they will receive comments by the professor. The different steps will be evaluated, overall counting for 70% of the final grade in this class.
Every student will also present his work orally in front of other students. Students not presenting are expected to take part in a discussion on the paper that has been presented. The presentation and discussion participation will count for 30% of the final grade.
Retake papers will have to be of the same length, to be submitted by August 20 at the latest
No exam will be organised during the exam period.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
The course will take the format of an intensive academic seminar spread out over the course of the semester:
04/10/2019: introductory course: themes and research directions in European Union law and technological innovation
11/10/2019: European Union law and technological innovation: discussion and presentation of research topics
18/10/2019: submission of research question via eCampus, at 11h00 at the latest
25/10/2019: research question- individual feedback, list via eCampus
31/10/2019: submission of a detailed research plan via eCampus, at 11h00 at the latest
8/11/2019: research plan - individual feedback, list via eCampus
15/11/2019: optional feedback session - burning questions encountered when writing your paper
22/11/2019: submission of a first draft of your written work via eCampus, at 11h00 at the latest
Week of 25/11/2019: individual feedback on the first draft of your written work
29/11/2019: paper presentations - list via eCampus - individual feedback will be offered after the presentation
6/12/2019: paper presentations - list via eCampus - individual feedback will be offered after the presentation
13/12/2019: paper presentations - list via eCampus - individual feedback will be offered after the presentation
20/12/2019 : submission of final paper, via eCampus at 11h00 at the latest - a paper version has to be submitted at 12h30 at the latest, at the office of Mme Caroline Langevin, B33, 2nd floor
Contacts
Professor: Pieter Van Cleynenbreugel, pieter.vancleynenbreugel@uliege.be
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the May-June 2020 session
Teaching methods implemented : distance-learning
Not applicable
Assessment subjects
Not applicable
Assessment methods
Not applicable
Contacts
No modifications
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the Aug-Sept 2020 session
Assessment subjects
Not applicable
Assessment methods
Not applicable
Contacts
No modifications