Seminar : 10-01-498 Marginalised legal histories in global context

6. Oktober 2025, von Internetredaktion

Facilitator: Dr. Dorothy Makaza-Goede 

Description: 

This module aims to reframe how international legal history, particularly connected to public international law, has been written, is studied and understood by emphasizing critical, plural and global perspectives. The module will focus on re-centering marginalised legal histories including long-forgotten global south legal epistemologies. The module challenges Eurocentric narratives and encourages students to engage in critical inquiry into the historical legal foundations, power dynamics, and implications of public international law. Through using critical approaches such as decolonial thought, TWAIL and postcolonial perspectives, students will stay engaged through the interactive and unique format that involves expert guest lectures, debates, and simulations. Through this module, students will learn to analyze the development of public international law from diverse geographical, cultural, and philosophical standpoints, thus cultivating their critical thinking skills and helping them draw connections between less known pluralized global legal histories and current global discourses and dynamics. 

Structure: The module will be taught in five different sessions at the beginning of the winter semester in 2025/26. Each session will be 4 to 4,5 hours each, except for the last one which will be 5hours long. 

Assessment: Students can choose to write their SPHA within the module. The main assessment will be in the form of presentations and seminar papers for the seminar certificate. Students may also choose to only partake in the oral presentation for a foreign language certificate. 

Language of instruction: English 

Number of participants: 15-20

Important dates: 

1st meeting: (20 October) 14.00hrs to 15.30hrs 

and Keynote Lecture at 18.15 till 19.45hrs (Room ESA W 221 including dinner and drinks) 

2nd meeting: (21 October): 14.00hrs to 18.30hrs 

3rd meeting: (22 October) 14.00hrs to 18.30hrs 

4th meeting: (23 October) 09.00hrs to 14.00hrs 

Note: Seminar rooms to be communicated to registered students 

Deadline for paper submissions: 30. 11.2025

Attendance: Compulsory for all participants 

Attendance: 100% 

Registration: Register directly via Stine (under course number: 10-01-498) or simply send an e-mail with your student number to Dorothy.makaza@uni-hamburg.de before the 15th of October 2025, also indicating if you would like to write your SPHA or seminar paper. Spots will be filled on a rolling basis, it is essential to contact the facilitator as early as possible. 

Reading list: An essential/compulsory reading list will be circulated directly to participants after registration. 

Poster (PDF)