Current Research in Private International Law: Virtual Workshop with Caroline Sophie Rapatz

 Tuesday, 4 November 2025, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (CET)

"Fly Me to the Moon and Let Me Play Among the Laws?"

About the Speaker:

Caroline Sophie Rapatz is Professor of Civil Law, European and International Private and Procedural Law and Comparative Law as well as Director of the Institute for European and International Private and Procedural Law at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Germany). In her comparative and private international law research, she focuses on the interplay between regulatory levels and the strategies and mechanisms of harmonisation, with a focus on the various facets of property law.

About the Topic:

With the increasing privatisation and economisation of space activities, the need for private space law becomes urgent: Responsible exploration and exploitation necessitates suitable and reliable rules on jurisdiction and applicable law in Outer Space as well as substantive private law adapted specifically to space scenarios. The presentation will explore the options for developing a comprehensive body of such private (international) law rules within the framework established by the existing public international law treaties on space law. It will outline possible approaches to such an undertaking, using property law questions as the main example.

About the Virtual Workshop Series:

The virtual workshop series “Current Research in Private International Law" is organised by Ralf Michaels and Philomena Hindermann. The series features guest speakers and Institute staff members who present and discuss their work on current developments and research topics in private international law. The workshops are geared to scholars who are researching in the field of private international law, but attendance is open to all individuals having an academic interest (including doctoral candidates and students).