Week 42/2024
Okunoin, a cemetary on mount Koya, founded in 835. Some of the trees are more than 50 meters high.
NSFW
This week’s song is from KAYAM.
Live-version on YouTube
(with SHURE SM7B-mics for the vocals).
The band consists of two siblings - more information is on their - nice - website.
Retrospect
#arsboni
Harald Kapper from ISPA explained us that technically speaking the test alarm undertaken last Saturday was a success - despite so many claims that it was not. This is also a (rare) opportunity to see my working room again, as - oh the irony! - the internet connection in my studio had broken down a few minutes before we went online.
Der Standard has an article with more information on the matter.
I talked with Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bergthaler about strategic litigation in climate matters on Wednesday. My main takeaway: It might be a good idea to look more into ptential claims based on private law instruments.
We also have (more than) 5.000 #arsboni subscribers since this week. I am very proud of this achievement and I know much better than five years ago how much work (and responsibility) such a number means.
Thank you very much to everyone joining me on this journey, your company means a lot to me.
WRG
The Vienna Society in Legal History (“WRG”) had its monthly meeting. Prof. Dr. Lisa Isola spoke about Roman writing boards (“ Zu einigen ausgewählten römischen Testamentsurkunden”).
I enjoyed to learn about the economical importance of testaments in ancient Rome and modern attempts to read the texts and interpret their meaning. One of the more obscure examples mentioned was a full testament written in a massive stone that is more than 2 meters high.
Law of the Digital Economy
I held (remotely) the opening keynote of this new programme organised by my friend Prof. Dr. Thomas Hoeren. We are kindly as partner organisation in the program’s brochure.
I learned from two students - unfortunately only after my presentation - that the figures stating a massive decrease of monthly visits of ChatGPT (that I had quoted) are false.
The real picture looks more like this:
Diplomatic Academy
I also held the kickoff lecture of our course ‘Digital Law’ at the Diplomatic Academy. I like this programme a lot due to the very bright and international student body and alss because it allows me to reflect in public a little about AI and warfare - a very underestimated issue, in my view, - in particular in Europe.
Commission Democracy in Digital Societies (‘DEMGES’)
This newly founded Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences had its opening workshop on Friday.
We discussed a lot about digital practices, newscases, platforms, media and democracy from a multidisciplinary perspective uniting scholars from political sciences, economy, philosophy, communication sciences, science and technology studies and law.
The day ended with a public, very pessimistic, keynote delivered by Sophie in 't Veld.
Prospect
#arsboni
We will have two sessions next week. On Monday I will speak with DDr. Christian F. Schneider about pagers and their safety/security from a legal perspective. Reference point are the recent explosions in Lebanon, but we will, onviously, focus on Austrian and EU law.
Tuesday will be the official opening of this term’s class on Legal Research. Our special guest is the president of Austria’s Suprem Court (‘Oberster Gerichtshof’ Prof. DDr. Georg Kodek. I am very much looking forward to hearing from him about his personal, very impressive career.
Beyond Compliance 2024
I will speak (remotely) at a conference on Research Ethics in the Digital Age organised by ERCIM in Budapest on Monday. Participation is free but registration is mandatory. Remote participation is possible.
‘Consumer Talk’
I will give a keynote on Tuesday at an event (‘3. Verbrauchertalk: KI und Kaufentscheidung - Verbraucher:innen vs. Unternehmen?!’) in St. Pölten. Free entry, registration necessary.
Campus Lecture
On Thursday I will participate at an event at Fachhochschule Campus Wien: Campus Lectures: KI und Digitalisierung – Wohin steuert die öffentliche Verwaltung in Österreich?
Participation is free but registration is requested. Remote participation is possible.
RUST-Conference
On Friday, October 18th, I will hold a workshop - together with Katharina Bisset - on IT-security law at the RUST-Conference in Rust.
25 Years LLM
We will have a birthday party on Octobe 29 at 18.00 CET in the big hall (‘ Großer Festsaal der Universität Wien’). Please join us and register (for free).
AI and Security - A multidisciplinary Approach
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Prainsack - Department of Political Science, Dr. Christoph Campregher, MSc - Head of IT Security, Vienna University Computer Center and me, we are organising a 3 hours conference in November. Free entry, registration is open.
Look and Feel
Japan
I returned safely from Japan with lots, lots of impressions, ideas and lessons learned.
And some more ;-)
Resistance to Change in Higher Education
I read an intersting book: “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”. Resistance to Change in Higher Education written by a former president of a US college.
Although it’s very US-focused I would still recommend it - not only because one learns about US tertiary education and its issues, but also - and in particular - because many of the problems mentioned are universal and therefore too well known to me (and many around me). Change isn’t the most popular term in European Universities either.
Daisy
has a comment to make on the general situation.
© Felix Forgó
Have a wonderful week!
Kind regards
Nikolaus (Forgó)