International Relations of the Faculty
Legal studies have always been an essential component of academic programs at the University of Pécs. In fact, university education in Pécs started in 1367 with the teaching of canon law. Between 1950 and 1971, the Faculty of Law was the only faculty that secured the continuity of the University after World War II. In 2023, the Faculty celebrated the 100th anniversary of the modern law school in Pécs.
The Faculty has long-standing international relations, for example, with the universities of Marburg, Bayreuth, Vienna, Graz, and InHolland University in the Netherlands, as well as London South Bank University.
The Faculty has established co-operative relations with law faculties in countries in our wider region (e.g., Cluj-Napoca, Novi Sad, Rijeka, and Wroclaw), which involve teacher and student mobility and short study visits.
The successful CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies) applications from the Faculty in the academic years 2005/2006 and 2008/2009 led to the establishment of the first CEEPUS network operating in the field of law in Central and Eastern Europe. In the first case, the objective was to study the relationship between three legal systems: international law, European Union law, and domestic laws; in the second case, the aim is to examine the situation of minorities in the Central European region. This cooperation resulted in special forms of joint education and training programs, such as the joint master’s degree program in Cluj-Napoca, an experimental tandem seminar launched within the framework of BA-level education, and various summer universities. Currently, the Faculty is part of the Law and Technology CEEPUS network coordinated by the Osijek Law Faculty.
The Faculty is a member of the European organizations ERA and ELFA. Most of our academic departments' international relations have also become stronger.
The Department of Criminal Procedure Law initiated the establishment of the Central European Criminal Cooperation, which involves approximately a dozen foreign criminal departments and institutes from Central Europe.
The Faculty has established relations outside Europe as well. Upon the initiative of specific departments, several visiting professors from North American universities have delivered lectures and seminars at the Faculty, as well as in cooperation with Chinese partners (e.g., the East China University of Political Science and Law) and African partners (e.g., Kenyatta University).
The Centre for European Research and Education of the Faculty also has an extensive and active international academic network. The Centre has been (and continues to be) involved in numerous European Union-funded teaching and research projects. The Centre publishes the open-access e-journal entitled Pécs Journal of International and European Law.
Interest in learning English has increased considerably, and the number of courses offered in foreign languages is also constantly growing. The postgraduate and PhD courses offered at the Faculty of Law are experiencing increasing popularity; the PhD program is also taught in English.
The Law Library in the Regional Library and Knowledge Centre is well-equipped to cater to the needs of international students, with a substantial collection of English-language journals, books, and databases. The European Documentation Centre was established in 1995 and is part of the Law Library of the Regional Library and Knowledge Centre; its collection serves as an important source of information for students, researchers, and businesses in the Transdanubian region regarding the European Union.
The ERASMUS+ program offers our teachers and students new opportunities. The number of our Erasmus partner universities and, consequently, the number of participants in the mobility program is increasing annually; currently, the Faculty has more than 40 Erasmus partner universities across Europe. It also enables us to welcome students and teachers from abroad as part of this EU-funded academic mobility scheme.
In addition to its extensive bilateral and regional partnerships, the Faculty is also an active participant in the European Digital UniverCity (EDUC) alliance.
As a member institution, the Faculty contributes to a broad, cross-European academic network that promotes collaborative teaching, digital mobility, joint research initiatives, and innovative international learning opportunities.
The EDUC partnership further strengthens the Faculty’s commitment to openness, cooperation, and the continuous development of a truly European legal education.
