ELS Academy Midseason Event 2026 – A recap

Academic event

ELS Academy Midseason Event 2026 – A recap

On 10 April, we organized a successful Midseason Event at Wageningen University & Research!

The programme, focused on Law & Interdisciplinarity, was centered around stimulating discussion on how law and other disciplines can meaningfully work together. The day started with a short opening by Edwin Alblas, Assistant Professor at WUR and ELS Academy Board member who was in charge of organizing this great event. We are happy and thankful that one of the universities newly joining our board and mission was able to organize this event. Much thanks therefore go out to the organising team in Wageningen.

Afterwards, a panel of scholars ranging from early-career to established academics reflected on the ‘art’ of collaboration, moderated by Vincent Latjes. These scholars consisted of:

• Lisette Velema: Assistant coordinator of ELS Academy, lecturer and student – Leiden University
• Louis Kotzé: Professor and Chair of the law group – Wageningen University
• Wendy Yan: Assistant Professor Law, Economics & Governance –  Utrecht University
• Sonja Bekker: Professor European Social Policy – Utrecht University

After a delicious lunch, two further insightful sessions took place, consisting of presentations and discussions around law & disciplinarity in publishing:

• Law & Interdisciplinarity in research & publishing, chaired by Anja Eleveld, Professor Social-Legal Studies in Precarious Work and Poverty, Vrije Universiteit
  • “Law & Interdisciplinarity: An Editor’s perspective” by Nadia Bernaz, Professor in Law & Corporate Justice, WUR; Editor in Chief Business & Human Rights Journal
  • “Publishing interdisciplinary legal scholarship: challenges and opportunities” by Marin Coerts, Assistant Professor Constitutional & Administrative Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • “Researching and publishing across borders” by Carolien Jacobs, Assistant Professor Law, Governance & International Development, Leiden University
• Law & Interdisciplinarity for impact, chaired by Hanna Schebesta, Associate Professor in Food law, WUR
  • “Community-Engaged Research for Advancing Human Rights and Gender Justice” by Ashly Jossy, PhD Candidate, PERIODS Project & Erica Selznick, PhD Candidate, EUmetriosis project & Inga Winkler, Associate Professor in Human Rights
  • “Navigating calls for practitioner recommendations” by Ben Grama, Postdoctoral Fellow Future Proofing Human Rights, Ghent University Teaching Law &
  • “Ecology: From juridical fiction to ecological reality” by Simon Tans, Lecturer Environmental Law, Wageningen University

After this, we had some drinks and networked. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this Midseason event a resounding success: speakers, panelist, presenters and of course the organizing team at the WUR (Law Group of Wageningen University). Great work!