Crossing Dialogues, Disciplines and Borders: How far can Private International Law go? (Call for papers)

International Symposium | 9–10 October 2026 | Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra (Portugal)

The University of Coimbra Institute for Legal Research (UCILeR), in collaboration with the Associação de Estudos Europeus de Coimbra (AEEC – Coimbra Association of European Studies), is organizing the International Symposium “Crossing Dialogues, Disciplines and Borders: How far can Private International Law go?”, to be held on 9 and 10 October 2026 at the Colégio da Trindade, Coimbra, Portugal.

Organised by Dulce Lopes and Afonso Patrão , the event brings together leading scholars, early-career researchers, and practitioners to debate the evolving role and limits of Private International Law (PIL) in novel situations that increasingly challenge its traditional scope.

About the Symposium

Private International Law is undergoing a period of deep transformation. The boundaries between substantive and procedural law have become more fluid and porous; fundamental rights and freedoms permeate classical conflict-of-laws reasoning; and adjacent disciplines — constitutional law, human rights law, immigration law, and register law — are reshaping the very foundations of PIL doctrine and methodology.

The symposium is structured around five thematic panels:

  • Constitutional Law(s) and PIL — exploring the constitutionalisation of conflict-of-laws rules and comparative approaches to the interface between national constitutionalism and PIL;
  • Human Rights Law(s) and PIL — examining the role of regional human rights frameworks, the recognition of same-sex unions, and the treatment of personal status in cross-border disputes;
  • Immigration Law(s) and PIL — addressing unilateralist trends in migration regulation, the PIL status of migrants, and new developments in cross-border family relations;
  • Procedural and Register Law(s) and PIL — covering matrimonial property regimes, gender identity and self-determination, and the human rights dimensions of cross-border litigation;
  • Call for Papers session — open to contributions from scholars and researchers (see below).

Confirmed speakers include  Ilaria Viarengo (University of Milan), Stéphanie Francq (UCLouvain), Yuko Nishitani (Kyoto University), Laura Carballo Piñero (University of Vigo), Rosario Espinosa Callabuig(University of Valencia),  Guillermo Palao Moreno (University of Valencia), Gustavo Monaco (University of São Paulo), Antonia Duran Ayago (University of Salamanca), Dário Moura Vicente (University of Lisbon), Luís de Lima Pinheiro (University of Lisbon), Rui Moura Ramos (University of Coimbra), and many others.

The full program is accessible on-line: https://ucpages.uc.pt/fduc/ij/agenda-ij/crossing-dialogues-disciplines-and-borders-how-far-can-private-international-law-go/

Attendance, whether in person or online, is free of charge but subject to registration: https://ls.uc.pt/index.php/395373?lang=pt&

Call for Papers

The organising committee invites abstract submissions from scholars and practitioners wishing to present papers at the symposium. Contributions may address any of the following themes (non-exhaustive):

  • The role of PIL in addressing emerging forms of personal and family status
  • Intersections between PIL and Human Rights Law
  • The impact of constitutionalisation on conflict-of-laws rules
  • The interplay between procedural mechanisms and substantive outcomes
  • The relationship between immigration law and PIL
  • The relevance of register law in cross-border legal situations
  • The limits of traditional PIL doctrines in atypical or innovative cases

Submission requirements:

Key dates:
Abstract submission deadline 18 July 2026
Notification of acceptance 31 July 2026
Draft papers due 9 October 2026

Presentations will take place in a hybrid format on 9 October 2026. A peer-reviewed publication of the proceedings is planned following the event.

We look forward to welcoming submissions from researchers working at the intersection of PIL and the many disciplines with which it increasingly dialogues.