Call for Papers: International Academy of Comparative Law – XXIInd General Congress 2026, Submission Deadline- February 9th, 2026
Within the framework of the XXIInd General Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, the Younger Scholars Forum will provide a dedicated platform for earlycareer scholars of comparative law. It will offer the opportunity for younger researchers to present their current projects, to receive constructive feedback, to exchange ideas and perspectives across legal disciplines and cultures, and to strengthen the network within the global comparative law community. The Younger Scholars Forum will be convened by Caroline S. Rapatz (Secretary General of the German National Committee of Comparative Law) and Lukas Rademacher (both University of Kiel).
Specific Younger Scholar sessions during the General Congress from September 28th to October 2nd, 2026 in Berlin will allow for the presentation and discussion of research thematically related to (at least) one of the topics of the general reports and workshops of the General Congress, with panels allowing for an in-depth analysis of individual aspects as well as a focus on cross-cutting themes and synergies between areas and topics. In each panel session, each panellist will present their research in a brief opening statement, followed by a discussion of selected issues by the panel participants and a moderator, before the session is closed by a general discussion with the audience.
We are pleased to invite younger researchers interested in presenting and discussing their research to submit proposals for panellist contributions to the Younger Scholars Forum. For the purposes of the event, “Younger Scholars” is understood to mean all researchers who are within six years of having completed their last law degree (PhD or comparable qualification) at the time of the General Congress; this includes graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows, lecturers, and assistant professors. All General Congress participants are cordially invited to attend the Younger Scholars panels and engage in the discussions.
Applications may be submitted, and presentations may be given, in English or French.
Submissions have to contain-
an abstract (max. 500 words) for the proposed research paper and presentation
identification of the general report(s) and/or workshop(s) the topic relates to (a full list of thematic panels is available under https://iacl.hu-berlin.de/congress-programme)
the applicant’s name, affiliation including Younger Scholar status, and contact details
We kindly ask you to submit all relevant documents in a single PDF file via email to youngiacl2026@law.uni-kiel.de by February 9th, 2026. Submissions will be evaluated according to the main selection criteria of the originality of the work and its methodology, the relevance of the paper to the topics and issues of the General Congress, and the plurality of perspectives provided.
For more details, refer here
