The Europaeum Law Review 2027
Equality and Rights in Europe: Courts, Institutions and Social Change
Università degli studi di Padova | 17–18 March 2027
Across Europe, equality is both a foundational legal commitment and a principle currently under pressure. Europe’s courts and institutions are increasingly being asked to determine what equal treatment requires and how it is measured at a time of contested identity, rapid technological change, and persistently unequal access to rights and protection.
Equality and Rights in Europe: Courts, Institutions and Social Change asks what happens when equality is put on trial: when our abstract commitment to equality and non-discrimination encounters a concrete dispute, a competing right, institutional constraint, or a changing social reality. This event will bring legal scholars and graduate students from across the Europaeum together to examine how European courts and institutions shape—and are themselves shaped by—evolving claims from digital inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights to asylum and the wider future of human rights in Europe.
Participants may come from a natural or applied sciences, law, philosophy, humanities, or a social science background. They may be masters students or be pursuing a PhD or JD.
A limited number of slots will be available for 15-minute student presentations and we invite expressions of interest for them from students in all relevant disciplines. We especially welcome proposals for papers addressing the theme in relation to the following topics:
- The meaning and development of equality and non-discrimination in European law
- The role of courts and other institutions in advancing, defining, or limiting equality
- Equality, technology, and digital inclusion
- Equality, identity, and minority rights (including questions of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion or disability)
- Migration, asylum, and equal access to rights
- Socio-economic inequality and the relationship between formal and substantive equality
- Contemporary and emerging challenges to equality and human rights in Europe
Applications should include the Europaeum application form, a brief CV, a statement of purpose (up to 500 words), and a reference letter sent from their supervisor or academic advisor to applications@europaeum.org. Those who wish to submit a paper should also add a short abstract of the proposed paper (up to 500 words).
Only students from Europaeum member universities are eligible to apply.
Reasonable travel expenses to and from Padua, as well as accommodation and board during event days, will be covered for selected participants.
For more information about how to apply visit: https://europaeum.org/programmes/events-activities/
Deadline for submission of applications and abstracts: 14 December 2026.
All submissions should be sent to applications@europaeum.org.
