From 28 November until 1 December, Panteion University organised the Common Study Session Fall 2023 in Athens. The Commons Study Programme (CSP) involves fifteen universities from twelve countries in an international, collaborative, short-term mobility programme. Twice a year in the Spring and Autumn, students, academic staff and associated professionals from participating universities meet at one of the university centres for a conference style Common Study Session. For this edition, Erasmus School of Law sent a delegation of 37 bachelor and master students, staff and PhD candidates in the field of criminology. Elisabeth Brein, IMARC Programme Manager, reflects on this year’s edition.
Discussion, inspiration and exchange of knowledge
“It was yet again another interesting three-day conference, with the theme Critical Criminology, New Criminologies and Crimes of the Powerful. On the first day we started with a full programme with opening- and plenary sessions. The other days were filled wit parallel sessions with, amongst others, presentations from students from Erasmus School of Law”, Brein explains. Four students from our School, two PhDs and academic staff presented their research in various sessions. “For example, we learned more from our delegation’s research on drink spiking, unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors, organ trafficking, and projustitia reports (mental health assessments)”, according to Brein. The three-day conference was concluded with a debate on the current conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Israel. The formal programme was complemented with social moments with drinks and food in the beautiful city of Athens. “There was a lot of discussion, inspiration, exchange of knowledge and fun during these days. We like to thank Erasmus School of Law and especially the international department of our School for their contribution and support to make this possible for our students”, Brein concludes.
The Common Study Programme
In its educational functions, the CSP offers an opportunity to engage freely with peers and academic staff in a range of structured and informal conference style settings. Though the fifteen university partners are centres of formal higher education, the Common Study Programme itself is a transnational and trans-institutional setting in which non-formal postgraduate learning takes place in the timetabled activity of the Common Session conference . A key educational element is the experience of short-term mobility, which is physical (geographical) as well as interdisciplinary and intercultural.
