Visit from Israel: Seminar week with partner university

For one week, from 29.5. to 5.6.2023, 12 students and 2 professors from the Israeli Reichman University were guests at the Heinrich Heine University. There was great joy among the participants: For some students from Düsseldorf and Herzliya it was a reunion after the visit of a Düsseldorf delegation to Reichman University last year, for others new friendships were formed. The Israeli group was accompanied by Professors Eli Bukspan (Corporate Law) and Galia Schneebaum (Criminal Law). The German students were supervised by Professors Rupprecht Podszun (Antitrust Law) and Anne Schneider (Criminal Law). The week was organized by the research assistants Lisa Harz and Philipp Offergeld.

The week started with a challenging seminar in English on "Corporate Misconduct & Corporate Liability". Cases involving legal violations by companies were analyzed and compared from the perspective of German and Israeli law. The students each worked in "tandem". This resulted in exciting comparisons on the role of the courts, the different legal systems and, of course, issues such as responsibility in the supply chain, sanctioning cartel agreements and the new sustainability trend ("ESG"). The two-day seminar took place at the HHU and at the Haus der Universität. Again and again the current political situation in Israel and the complex German-Israeli relationship in the past and present were discussed.

In addition to the professional program, there was a great social program: Judge Christopher Schaffel led a tour of the Higher Regional Court, the history of Jews in Cologne was explored in the Cologne Cathedral, a city tour in Düsseldorf, a trip on the Rhine and even an excursion to Phantasialand bonded the group together.

The exchange with the partner university, which is located in Herzliya near Tel Aviv, is particularly important for the Faculty of Law - only recently the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, visited the faculty and expressed his appreciation for the intensive friendship. This partnership was initiated and promoted by Dr. h.c. Harry Radzyner, the great friend of our faculty who sadly passed away in 2020. Reichman University Law School is named after him. The Moe Radzyner "Stiftung Brückenschlag" generously sponsored the seminar. Galia Schneebaum invited Heinrich Heine University students to Israel for 2024.