The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is hosting an in-person workshop on May 6 and 7, 2026, aimed at doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers and early career scholars in collaboration with the University of Zurich Law School at its Bengaluru campus.

The idea is to have a small group of scholars interacting intensively to improve the content of their individual projects both in substance and in writing, and to build collaborative links for ongoing and future research. Papers presented at the workshop are expected to show that extensive work has been put into them already; research proposals or outlines of research to be conducted will not be accepted.

To this end, a total of not more than 12-15 scholars (both from NLSIU and the University of Zurich) will work together over two full days to present papers and act as discussants and commentators for other papers.  To maintain a broad thematic coherence, all papers will be on the topic of ‘Global Justice’ interpreted broadly.  Individual presentations can be from any substantive area of international law, but must engage with the theme of Global Justice in some discernible manner.

We invite interested participants from the NLS community who meet the criteria set out below to apply for the workshop by 11.59 PM on March 25, 2026. 

 Theme

The theme of ‘Global Justice’ invites critical engagement with the normative, institutional, and practical questions surrounding justice beyond the boundaries of the nation- state. While traditionally anchored in international law, global justice today is shaped by a wider constellation of forces, including political theory, economics, sociology, history, environmental studies, and critical and post-colonial scholarship. The workshop therefore welcomes interdisciplinary perspectives that interrogate issues such as inequality, power asymmetries, human rights, global governance, development, climate justice, and migration, in a deeply interconnected world. By encouraging dialogue across disciplines, the workshop seeks to enrich understandings of how global justice is conceptualised, contested, and pursued in theory and practice.

Note: Though the event focuses on Public International Law, we also invite submissions on other issues that engage with the broad theme of Global Justice from within and beyond the law.

Workshop Format

Selected applicants will participate in a two-day workshop to be held from 6th to 7th of May, 2026 at NLSIU. While the exact details and schedule of the workshop will be communicated to the selected applicants at a later date, it will see active participation and presentations from all the participants, with a view to facilitating deeper exchanges between them as a collective.

In addition to presenting/responding to comments on their own work, participants will comment on and discuss the papers of others. Participants will be expected to be present throughout the two-day workshop (attendance at other events is not mandatory) and will be expected to both read all selected papers and participate in each session. Members of the faculty of both NLSIU and the Faculty of Law of the University of Zurich will also contribute with introductory remarks and participation in the discussion as commentators or respondents.

Application Deadline 

11.59 PM on March 25, 2026.

Requirements 

1. A draft paper not exceeding 8,000 words, with an abstract that identifies the connection to the theme of Global Justice.
2. A Statement of Purpose setting out the interest of the applicant to take part in the workshop.

Eligibility 

PhD students and early-career scholars affiliated with NLSIU are eligible to apply. For this call, the following categories of people are defined as early-career scholars:

1. Academic fellows and others holding a research position at NLSIU who have completed their Master’s degree or PhD within the last 7 years;
2. Faculty members who have completed their Master’s degree or PhD within the last 7 years.

How to Submit 

Submit your applications/queries through email to