The University of Ghana School of Law (UGSoL) has successfully concluded its 2026 Spring and Summer International Seminars, reaffirming its commitment to delivering globally oriented legal education through strategic partnerships with leading universities and institutions across Europe and the United States.
Held between April and June 2026, the seminars provided Master's students from a range of specialised programmes with immersive academic experiences that extended learning beyond the classroom. Participants engaged with internationally renowned scholars, policymakers, judges, and legal practitioners while examining contemporary legal issues from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.
The programme formed part of UGSoL's broader internationalisation strategy, equipping students with the knowledge, practical exposure, and global outlook required to navigate an increasingly interconnected legal profession.
The seminars commenced in Germany, where students from the LLM/MA Information Technology Law programme attended the Global Digital Law & Policy Spring School at the University of Freiburg from 18th to 28th April 2026. A major highlight of the seminar was a series of comparative discussions on European technology regulation led by Professor Moritz Hennemann, the newly elected German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, together with faculty from the Institute for Media and Information Law. The sessions examined evolving data protection regimes, digital governance models, and regulatory approaches shaping the European legal landscape. The delegation also visited the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, where participants toured the courtroom and other key sections of the institution. The visit offered valuable insight into the structure, functions, and constitutional significance of one of Europe's most influential judicial bodies while deepening participants' understanding of comparative constitutional adjudication.
In May, attention shifted to the United States as students from the LLM/MA Energy Law and Natural Resources Law programme participated in a Spring Seminar jointly organised by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Africana Studies and Carey Law School. Led by the Law School's former Dean, Professor Theodore Ruger, the programme examined electricity regulation, climate change, international energy treaties and economic sanctions, and the growing intersection between artificial intelligence and legal regulation.
Students benefited from lectures delivered by distinguished legal and industry experts, including Sam Krasnow, Sozi Tulante, Wilfred Beaye, Kenneth Kulak, and Mehrnoosh Aryanpour, who provided practical and comparative perspectives on contemporary energy and natural resources law and policy. The delegation also visited the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia before concluding the programme with a high-level meeting with the University of Pennsylvania's Provost, Professor John Jackson. The engagement reinforced the growing partnership between the two institutions and identified new opportunities for collaboration in legal education, research, and academic exchange.
From 1st to 5th June, Master's students specialising in Corporate and Commercial Law and Financial Markets Law and Regulation, travelled to New York for the Global Law and Business Seminar at Columbia Law School. The intensive programme explored cross-border transactional risks, corporate governance and boardroom dynamics, and emerging developments in global financial regulation. Lectures were delivered by legal scholars; Maria Luisa Canovas, Genevieve Helleringer, and David M. Schizer, who challenged participants to examine the legal complexities of conducting business in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
During the same period, another UGSoL delegation participated in the Business and Human Rights Seminar at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The week-long programme brought together students, professionals, faculty, and staff for an intensive exploration of corporate accountability and human rights. Led by Emily Ray of the Human Rights and Entrepreneurial Clinic, the seminar combined lectures, simulations, case studies, discussions, and a field visit to examine evolving legal and policy frameworks governing responsible business conduct. Participants explored emerging approaches to business and human rights, a rapidly developing area of law with growing significance for both developed and developing economies.
The 2026 edition concluded in Washington, D.C., with a seminar on "Using International Labor Law Towards a More Equitable Global Economy" hosted by the Global Labor Justice–International Rights Forum. Students from the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Labour Law programmes examined international labour solidarity, workers' rights, and transnational advocacy in advancing equitable labour standards. Participants engaged with leading practitioners, including Jacqueline Wambui Wamai, Regional Coordinator of the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW) for Sub-Saharan Africa; Professor Lance Compa of Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations; Jonathan Alingu, Co-Executive Director of Central Florida Jobs With Justice; and Jennifer Li, Director of the Center for Community Health Innovation at Georgetown Law's O'Neill Institute.
The delegation also held discussions with U.S. Congressman Jonathan Jackson and met with leadership from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Institute for Policy Studies, gaining firsthand insights into global labour movements, international advocacy, and contemporary challenges in protecting workers' rights across jurisdictions.
Further strengthening the institutional impact of the seminars, the Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Professor Peter Atupare, paid courtesy visits to Columbia Law School and Harvard Law School. The engagements provided an opportunity to express appreciation for the continued partnership between the institutions while exploring new avenues for academic collaboration, research, faculty engagement, and student mobility.
The successful completion of the 2026 Spring and Summer International Seminars underscores UGSoL's continued investment in experiential legal education and its commitment to producing professionals equipped to operate confidently within both domestic and international legal systems. Through sustained partnerships with some of the world's leading law schools and legal institutions, UGSoL continues to expand opportunities for its students while strengthening its position as one of Africa's leading centres for globally focused legal education.