Streetart at Donaukanal, seen during a Sunday Run

Retrospect

#arsboni

Two different perspectives on the same topic were discussed this week.

Dr. Kristin Eichhorn spoke about (lack) of job perspectives for untenured academic staff (“Mittelbau”) and the German law leading to this (“Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz”) and its reform.

The President of Bucerius Law School, Prof. Dr. Michael Grünberger, presented reform ideas in the German legal curriculum.

Digital Notary

We had an excellent workshop with high level and very active and interrested audience on matters of digitalisation and the notary as a future proof profession. Žiga Škorjanc played a key role from our side, once again, but it was a particulart pleasure to cooperate with Professort Paul Oberhammer and his team and to meet Professor Helmut Heiss from University of Zurich at this occasion.

Online Surveillance

The very remarkable reports on what supposedly happened at the Austrian “Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism” trigger (rather vague both in legal and in technical terms) suggestions on what should be done to allow state authorities to monitor chat-communication. I contributed with an interview in Mittagsjournal, emphasizing how important transparence and openness are.

Prospect

Panels and Presentations

This week will be very busy with many different gigs at many places.

Friday

Today- Friday April 19, 13.00 CEST - Juridicum, Top floor,

We will be providing a last minute stream for those not able to make it on site.

You should try to come, however, for at least 2 reasons: coffee and an informal debate at the end that will not be streamed.

Monday

On Monday, April 22, 18.00 CEST, we will discuss media privileges in data protection and citation bans at Juridicum, Top Floor (no stream available). I expect this to be “intense” and also a kind of “coming home” as my public argumentation against the plans to make direct quotes from files in criminal procedings illegal started there some months ago.

Tuesday

Tuesday, April 22, 17.00 CEST, Haus der EU, (presumably no stream available) will be dedicated to media freedom.

Panel:

• Helmut Brandstätter, Abgeordneter zum Nationalrat, Spitzenkandidat der NEOS für die EU-Wahl
• Eva Dichand, Herausgeberin und Geschäftsführerin von HEUTE
• Nikolaus Forgó, Professor für Technologie- und Immaterialgüterrecht, Universität Wien
• Anna Wallner, Leiterin des Debattenressorts von Die Presse (Moderation)Registration required.

Wednesday

Wednesday is dedicated to the ÖAMTC Compliance day where I may speak about the NIS2-Directive. Prof. Christiane Wendehorst will cover “Die neue KI-VO”, Dr. Andreas Zavadil from Austria’s DPA will deal with the European Strategy on Data there.

Thursday

I am travelling to Brussels in the morning and will also be giving a remote presentation at Columbia University in the evening.

I will spend most of the day at a very interesting conference on the European Health Data Space Act. I am part of slot 3 there, starting at 14.00 CEST, on site only:

Registration and full programme are available.

In the evening I will join remotely at the 2024 Columbia Global Freedom of Expression Prize Ceremony.

“My” panel starts at 14.00 EST which is 20.00 CEST.

Topic: Critical Legal Frontiers: Global Challenges to Freedom of Expression

Speakers:

 – on SLAPPs:

Caroline James, Advocacy Coordinator, AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism

Alexander Papachristou, Executive Director, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice

– on Environment/Journalism:

Barbara Trionfi, Press Freedom and Journalism Expert, Author of IPI Report Climate and Environmental Journalism Under Fire

Jorge Calderón Gamboa, Independent Expert of the UN Program Harmony With Nature

– on Elections:

Mishi Choudhary, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Virtru 

– on Artificial intelligence:

Professor Nikolaus Forgo, Head of the Department of Innovation and Digitalization in Law, University of Vienna [Online]

Moderator:

Sandra Coliver, Former Senior Legal Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative, USA

Full programme available, stream rather likely.

Friday

After returning early on Friday morning, I will go to St. Pölten, chairing a panel debate on the digital Euro. The event is organised by the “Vereinigung österreichischer Investmentgesellschaften”: I haven’t found any information online yet, but I believe that I should be there at 11.30 am. If interested, contact the organisor directly, please.

On the Run

Some of us from the department (including me) will participate as a team at the relay marathon of the Vienna City Marathon on Sunday, April 21.

I am - somehow - trying to be in training and shape for this, but I am doing clearly too little. It will be a challenge to do the 11 km I am planned for. However, occasionally I see nice street art during training - which is a perfect excuse for a break.

Best mental prparation is to read (again) a beautiful book about running.

And let me share with you as an inspiration this short interview with Jasmin Paris right after having made running history as the first female finisher ever at the Barkley.

Se was nominated recently to officially start the London marathon that is also taking place on Sunday.

#arsboni

I will interview Clemens Hufeld on Tuesday, April 23, at 12.30 CEST. He did a very remarkable empirical study on lack of unity in the grading of German legal exams (“Jede Korrektur eine andere Note: Quantitative Untersuchung der Objektivität juristischer Klausurbewertungen.”).

Daisy …

is running too - if there is a cookie or at least a ball to catch.

© Felix Forgó

Have a wonderful week!

Kind regards

Nikolaus (Forgó)