We live in critical times. Populism, climate change, mass migration, artificial intelligence: these and other pressures have, in recent years, strained – and changed – familiar forms and norms of law, politics and society. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic poses an unheralded global challenge, exposing asymmetries of power and inequalities (of race, gender and social class), and raising hard questions about fundamental freedoms, privacy protections and democratic rights – while also opening the door to previously unthinkable reforms.

Critical times call for critical minds. The pressing problems of our contemporary world are complex and defy easy answers. They demand attention from diverse analytical perspectives and disciplinary fields of expertise. They also require sophisticated critical theories and practices capable of supplying the deep insights needed to comprehend their complexities, to test and contest underlying ideologies and discourses, and to conjure alternative visions of human and social organisation.

Fired by the 'fierce urgency of now', Critical Times: Law, Humanities and Critique will offer a unique space for intensive critical thought about, and intellectual engagement with, the times in which we live. Linking a global cohort of critical and creative thinkers from four continents, Critical Times will pursue new inter-, trans- and cross-disciplinary trajectories for understanding the forces shaping our world, and for (re-)imagining our futures.

This project is financially supported by Movetia. Movetia promotes exchange, mobility and cooperation within the fields of education, training and youth work – in Switzerland, Europe and worldwide. wwww.movetia.ch.

Upcoming Events

The initial funding cycle for the Critical Times project has now ended. An update on future events will follow shortly.

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"

The Critical Times project is a collaboration between the following partner institutions:

• Institute for Interdisciplinary Legal Studies – lucernaiuris
• Centre for Law, Arts & Humanities at The Australian National University
• Institute of the Humanities & Global Cultures, University of Virginia
• Wits Institute for Social & Economic Research, University of Witwatersrand
• Faculty of Law, University of Roma Tre
• Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

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).