The fast-changing legal environment of current times requires – more intensely than ever before in history – innovation and flexibility, the capability to adjust to global challenges and meet local expectations as well as hesitations. This demands the ability look beyond national borders for adequate solutions, to be inspired by ideas on the international level, and to learn from the past experiences of other countries both in a positive and negative sense. This is what the programs devised by the Department of Legal Studies at CEU quintessentially provide.
Cultivating Academic Liberty while Pursuing Objective Truth
Central European University is an undergraduate and graduate-level “crossroads” university where faculty and students from more than 100 countries congregate to engage in interdisciplinary education, pursue advanced scholarships, and address some of society’s most vexing problems. CEU is known for excellence in teaching and research with a purpose. At the core of its mission lies a set of principles: the pursuit of truth wherever it leads, respect for the diversity of cultures and peoples, and commitment to resolving differences through debate, not denial.
Founded in 1991 at a time when revolutionary changes were throwing off the rigid orthodoxies imposed on Central and Eastern Europe, CEU is based on the premise that human fallibility can be counterbalanced by the critical discussion of ideas and that this critical spirit can be sustained best in societies where citizens have the freedom to scrutinize competing theories and openly evaluate and change government policies.
Making the Students ‘Future-Ready’
There are multiple methods of preparing students for the future in law and making them “Future-Ready”. CEU’s Legal Department achieves this firstly by closely following market developments and reacting in time to any foreseeable changes in the legal system. The Department also continuously updates course contents by consulting lecturers who practice law on a daily basis in order to keep up with topical legal trends. For example, due to the increased impact of technological development on law and regulation, a new Law and Technology course has been launched successfully. Furthermore, university regulations require strategic reviews of all programs every five years.
Secondly, the comparative teaching method is also helpful in this respect because students have the freedom to target jurisdictions in which new problems may have arisen. This is typically not a possibility in national law schools where they work predominantly with local materials. This approach also exposes students to the dynamic nature of law and the changing legal environment.
Thirdly, the University has a Career Office which was established principally to orient and help students shape their careers. The Office organizes various webinars, and presentations and publishes pertaining materials on top of offering individual consultations for students. Additionally, the Office regularly organizes meetings with practitioners, or successful CEU alumni to allow students to raise any pressing questions. They also maintain a webpage with selected alumni profiles to demonstrate to students what new career avenues exist. Put simply, instead of the faculty talking about possibilities, realities are given the limelight to speak for themselves.
