Rule of Law and Constitutionalism. XIV Summer School

The OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, in cooperation with the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, invites applications from undergraduate and postgraduate candidates affiliated with higher education and research institutions in Ukraine for participation in the XIV Summer School “Rule of Law and Constitutionalism.”

In 2026, the Summer School will focus on the functioning of constitutional democracy in wartime, social protection and the rights of military personnel.

During the programme, participants will discuss, inter alia:

• key elements of constitutional democracy and challenges to its functioning in wartime; 
• constitutional limits on restrictions of human rights under martial law; 
• accountability and responsibility of public authorities in the context of armed aggression; 
• positive and negative obligations of the state in the field of economic and social rights; 
• the principle of proportionality in the context of social protection; 
• the link between resource mobilization, state defense capacity, and restrictions on human rights; 
• social protection of military personnel as a constitutional obligation of the state; 
• the development of the relevant doctrine in the case law of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. 

The Summer School will provide 30 participants with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of constitutional law, human rights, the rule of law, constitutional justice, and the European constitutional tradition. Special attention will be paid to the effectiveness of constitutional democracy and social protection of military personnel in Ukraine.

Lecturers will include judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, experts from international organizations, judges of foreign constitutional courts, leading Ukrainian and international scholars, and legal practitioners.

The programme will include lectures, discussions, and practical sessions aimed at developing skills in analyzing and interpreting constitutional provisions, legal principles, concepts of constitutionalism, as well as international legal instruments in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Applications are open not only to law students and postgraduate students, but also to candidates from related humanities and social science fields, including political science, philosophy, sociology, and other disciplines.

Application deadline:
22 June 2026 at 23:59 Kyiv time.

Detailed information on the selection process is provided in the attachment to this announcement.

For all questions regarding participation conditions, selection criteria, and organization of the Summer School, please contact:

Prof. Mykhailo Savchyn
Summer School Coordinator
[email protected]

Please note: due to the ongoing war and the related security situation, the indicated dates are provisional. The OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine reserves the right to postpone the Summer School. Participants will be informed in advance of any changes.