Summer School 2025

Program                      Faculty

On the very first evening already, it became clear that this year’s summer school would become a success - not only academically, but also socially. On Monday evening during the introductory get-together with pizza and drinks, a creative and open-minded atmosphere came up quite quickly among the 28 participants from 14 countries and the institute's team.

Tuesday was packed with exciting presentations covering an impressive range of topics: from an exciting introduction to the interface between computer science and law by Prof. Dr. Ken Satoh (Tokyo) to pressing questions about liability by Prof. Dr. Borges.

Wednesday was also dedicated to interdisciplinary and practical insights: Prof. Dr. Holger Hermanns (UdS) discussed the scientific foundations and ethical dimensions of AI, Prof. Dr. Juliano Maranhão (Sao Paulo) gave a comparative legal overview of AI governance. And in further sessions, we examined in depth verification and evidence law topics as well as related data protection issues such as data protection challenges in LLMs and a comparison between the EU and China in terms of legal liability in the AI era.

Thursday, Prof. Dr. Sorge kicked off the second topic area of data protection and IT security with an introduction to cybersecurity and data protection, as well as anonymisation. Prof. Schafer (Edinburgh) followed with remarks on data protection and data sovereignty in an increasingly decentralised digital economy. The day ended with a highlight for some participants: an excursion to the Velsen mine. 

On Friday, the Institute for Legal Informatics hosted an international workshop on AI certification. The hybrid workshop began with a presentation of the CARAT project by Dr. Adekemi and S. Sterz (both Saarland University). Dr. Kevin Baum (DFKI) then described AI certification as a socio-technical challenge that goes far beyond mere technical testing. After a short coffee break, during which the first intensive discussions took place, another substantial block followed: Prof. Dr. Hermanns and S. Sterz presented their thoughts on the certifiability of human oversight in AI systems. In the afternoon, Prof. Dr. Borges guided the audience through the complex regulations of the AI Act and highlighted the role of conformity assessments and certifications in European and German practice. An international perspective on the topic followed when Prof. Dr. Maranhão presented voluntary AI certification from a Brazilian perspective. The concluding remarks by Prof. Borges, Prof. Hermanns and Prof. Maranhão rounded off the content-rich day with a summary. The day then came to a close with a barbecue and drinks in an informal and cordial atmosphere.

A day trip to the picturesque Saar Loop on the following Saturday offered breathtaking views of the unique river landscape with a walk along the treetop path.

Another highlight was the visit to the Völklingen Ironworks. An impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site that brought industrial history to life.

On Monday, practical insights into anonymisation and pseudonymisation in everyday legal practice and technical data protection measures (Prof. Dr. Dr. Schweighofer, Vienna) were followed by insights into multimedia forensics and deepfake detection (Prof. Sanchez, PhD, Warwick). An unusual contribution from one participant (Mr Hsueh, Taiwan) on a linear programming model for exposing fraud in dental healthcare also provided a varied perspective in the programme.

Tuesday was all about an excursion to Strasbourg: a visit to the EU Parliament, a boat tour along the waterways and finally wine tasting, true to the motto: ‘Culinary & cultural flow!’

On the last day, after an exciting, interactive session by Prof. Dr. Delphine Reinhardt (Göttingen), the day's programme included an informative reading session on current security research, followed by a feedback and Q&A session. The grand finale consisted of the official certificate presentation, the farewell dinner and endless farewell ceremonies as the participants went their separate ways after nine intensive days.

The Summer School IT Law and Legal Informatics 2025 was a showcase project for interdisciplinary exchange and high-calibre lectures, as well as practical excursions for networking.

To sum up: It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. We'll do it again!