On October 6-7, 2017 Polotsk State University hosted the International conference «Traditions and Innovations in Law» dedicated to two important events – 20 years of Law Faculty and 50 years of Polotsk State University. The conference has gathered around 300 practicing lawyers and researchers from educational and scientific organisations in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany and Sweden.
The conference was opened by the Vice-Rector for Science Dmitry Glukhov who underlined that Law Faculty formation was one of the most important steps of the University to the transformation into a real classical university.
Oleg Buyevich, the chairman of Novopolotsk city Council of Deputies, said that Law Faculty of PSU has prepared a lot of highly skilled professionals who are relevant in all spheres of society life in Belarus.
Sergey Chigrinov (PhD in Law, Associate Professor), Judge of Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus, noted that holding the conference «Traditions and Innovations in Law» in Polotsk was very symbolic.
The dean of Law Faculty Irina Vegera (PhD in Law, Associate Professor) greeted all the guests and thanked them for the participation in the conference.
The opening ceremony of the international conference «Traditions and Innovations in Law» was ended up by reliable friends of Law Faculty and Polotsk State University – representatives from the Institute for Legal Research of the National Centre of Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus, Belarusian State University, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, the National Centre of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Belarus, the Yaroslav-the-Wise- Novgorod State University.
The guests of our university also presented a lot of memorable gifts in honour of two significant events – 20 years of Law Faculty and 50 years of Polotsk State University – to Irina Vegera (Dean of Law Faculty) and Dmitry Glukhov (Vice-Rector for Science).
Irina Vegera was also awarded with the Certificate of Honor of the Institute for Legal Research of the National Centre of Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus for achieving significant results in the field of legal studies, preparation of highly skilled specialists, intensive research activity. Polotsk State University was awarded with the Certificate of Honor of the National Centre of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Belarus for a longstanding cooperation and significant contribution to the formation and realization of public policy in the field of rights protection for objects of the intellectual property.
The international conference was continued by the plenary session where the participants representing different organizations and HEIs from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Germany and Sweden delivered the presentations.
After the plenary session all the participants presented their reports within discussion sections:
- Relevant problems of theory and history of state and law;
- Relevant problems of constitutional and international law;
- Relevant problems of civil law;
- Environmental protection: problems of lawmaking and law enforcement;
- Criminal law in conditions of social environment transformation;
- Theoretical and practical aspects of innovations in the field of law-enforcement activities;
- Legal and criminal aspects of the protection of the interests of the family and minors.
One of the peculiarities of this conference was a short fashion show that was carried out during one of the discussion sections.
The conference outcomes were discussed at the workshop that ended up the conference.
The participants of the conference underlined the significance and importance of the event and shared their impressions about Polotsk State University.
Tomas Berkmanas (Kaunas, Lithuania): «The topic of the conference is very good. Nowadays law is a global phenomenon. We also have a group of scholars at Law Faculty of our university, who study the influence of globalization on law. This is a very prospective direction for research activities. Today we are going to listen to many reports, and I think that this information will help our development.
The delegation from Vytautas Magnus University is here not for the first time. Law Faculty of Polotsk State University is very modern. We are interested in cooperation with you. We have a lot of things in common, and I see the potential for further development of our contacts. For example, exchange of students and teachers, sharing experience in the field of clinical law within the framework of joint research projects».
Alejandro Fuentes (Lund, Sweden): «I represent Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. I enjoy these magnificent new facilities. I was here before, in 2015, when I visited the previous facilities of Law Faculty. I’m very pleased to see this enormous change in the infrastructure which will benefit the entire academic community. Today we are also here to talk about the academic community in the conference «Traditions and Innovations in Law» because law and legal studies are not standing still. They develop together with society. They follow different changes, evolutions in society. And we (professors, academics, scholars) have to follow as well that evolution. That’s why we are here today to talk about those changes.
My Institute supports our partners in Europe, and Polotsk State University is one of them. We help them to develop new methods, new innovative approaches to Law, in particular, to international human rights law which is our field of expertise.
So today I will deliver a presentation on Human Rights Education. My report is devoted to the raise of teachers’ responsibility in higher education to create a culture for human rights not only for our students, but for the society.
That’s our mission for today, but I’m happy to enjoy as well this very beautiful city of Polotsk which I have the chance to visit for the third time. It’s always a magnificent opportunity for discovery and cultural learning. I’m very happy to be here, and I hope that many colleagues will come to the conference».
Helmut Kury (Freiburg, Germany): «I was invited by the university to participate at the conference and to give some lectures here. I arrived here on Monday and gave three lectures at this University with students about the effects of punishment and alternatives to penal punishment. We’ve had very interesting discussions with the students on the seminar, and it’s a pleasure for me to participate in the conference.
I think this is very important to develop the law, modern solutions in crime. I think the university is very interested to have international contacts. That is very important. There are guests from Sweden, former Soviet countries. I think it’s very important to have the experience to exchange this experience. I’m also very interested to learn from your experience and to exchange what the best solution is. Crime is a problem in every country. Also in Germany we’ve had a big problem with refugees for last two years. We had a broad discussion about what we should do to reduce the crime. That’s why it’s interesting for me to learn what your solutions are».
