January 25-29, 2027
Call for applications: September 1 – October 20, 2026
The Winter School on 'Digital Rights: Theory and Practice' focuses on the intersecting domains of digital rights’ protection that arise from access to and use of data and digital services by various stakeholders. It offers a multidisciplinary approach to innovation, drawing on various methodologies, cross-sectoral studies, legal areas and social sciences. Topics include information technologies and human rights, the law and ethics of AI, AI data governance, the power of digital platforms in the global economy, the transformation of social and political rights in the age of AI, the risk of algorithmic discrimination, the dual use of AI in the warfare, as well as the regulatory trends related to the latest developments and applications of frontier AI.
The impact of digital transformation on fundamental rights and democratic societies is far-reaching. The Winter School on 'Digital Rights: Theory and Practice' offers a multifaceted perspective on innovation, reconciling different theoretical approaches to digital rights with emerging case law in the fields of human rights, IT law, private law, and constitutional law. The programme draws the attention of Master's and PhD students, including international students, to the most relevant issues related to digital regulation and technological innovation.
The broader objective is to make legal theoretical frameworks accessible and useful for analysing societal issues and to provide a legal and theoretical basis for understanding the most significant issues underlying access to, use of and sharing of information and data for various purposes among both private and public actors. The school also aims to guide students towards specialised educational programmes in the legal theory and practice of digital rights.
Thanks to its interdisciplinary character and its ability to attract international students and attendees from various backgrounds, the Winter School is a cutting-edge initiative that addresses highly relevant topics.
Faculty
Mariavittoria Catanzariti, University of Padua
Lorenzo Passerini Glazel, University of Milano-Bicocca
Amedeo Santosuosso, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia
Matteo Pasquinelli, Ca’ Foscari Universtiy of Venice
Laura Drechsler, University of KU Leuven
Anne-Christine Fornage, University of Lausanne
Guido Gorgoni, University of Padua
Claudia Padovani, University of Padua
Daniele Ruggiu, University of Padua
Dario Guarascio, Sapienza University of Rome
Costanza Margiotta, Sapienza University of Rome
Dolores Taramundi, University of Deusto
Who is it for?
Applications are open to Master’s Degree Students who intend to pursue doctoral studies and PhD Students in Law; Human Rights; International Relations; Political Science; Philosophy; Sociology.
Topics
- Latest Developments and Applications of AI and Digital Technologies
- AI Data Governance
- The Impact of Information Technologies on Fundamental Rights
- The social contract in the AI era
- Data Misuses Beyond Data Protection
- AI, Rule of law and Democracy
- AI and Political Rights
- Data Access for Public Interest
- The Global Power of Platforms
- Algorithmic discrimination
- Dual Use of AI
Learning outcomes for participants
The course aims to develop students' capacity building in various areas of interest related to digital rights.
To stimulate interest in discussion, teamwork and the development of structured ideas in written and oral presentations, classes are structured into the following sessions: theoretical lectures delivered by experts who provide an overview of literature, categories and emerging issues; practical laboratories led by lawyers and social scientists where hypothetical cases are discussed using a problem-solving approach; seminars on specific topics; inquiry based sessions; roundtables following lectures to summarise the main conclusions and stimulate debate; one students’ workshop including oral presentations based on different approaches to digital rights to stimulate discussion and the exchange of ideas.
Credits
A Certificate of attendance will be issued at the end of the course.
Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2
The Program will admit 20 participants.
Fees
Students of VIU member universities:
€ 400 incl. VAT.
Students of other universities:
€ 800 incl. VAT.
The fees will cover tuition, course materials, lunches in the VIU cafeteria and social events.
Student participants will be responsible for covering their own travel expenses to and from Venice, accommodation, and local transportation.
VIU Alumni are eligible for a reduced fee.
PhD candidates and post-docs from universities in EU universities may be eligible for Erasmus+ mobility grant support. Candidates should consult the International Office in their own university for information about the calls for applications for funding as well as for possible scholarships. VIU will provide any supporting documentation requested for such applications. Contact VIU Erasmus office: erasmus@univiu.org
Applicants must submit the application form, a letter of motivation – which should include a brief description of the candidate’s research interests, a curriculum vitae and a photo.
For further information, please download the brochure or write to: summerschools@univiu.org
