In today’s globalized economic context, future graduates need to prepare for life as effective leaders on the world stage—and it’s the responsibility of institutions of higher education to make sure that happens. At IE University, we work hard to develop dynamic learning approaches to provide talented individuals with the insights and resources to effect lasting change.
In all our law programs, our world-class faculty go beyond the confines of any single legal system to mirror the reality of international law. This high-impact methodology allows students to interact with the current trends, insights, and challenges present in key international legal jurisdictions to develop a wholly global outlook.
The current global context calls for inspirational professors to train lawyers of international renown. Below, we get the opportunity to hear from one of them.
Antonios Kouroutakis is an assistant professor with a strong background in the education management industry. He began his education at the Democritus University of Thrace, before completing his LL.M at UCLA. Finally, he earned his DPhil focused on Constitutional Law from Oxford University.
He has an equally impressive track record as a researcher, where he focuses his efforts on constitutional and administrative law. He is interested in the concept of power separation, exploring areas such as the rule of law, emergency legislation, and immigration law. His research in these areas has been published widely in international and peer-reviewed journals.
We sat down with him to discuss his approach to delivering classes at IE University.
What courses do you teach at IE University?
I teach Constitutional Law for the university (I am also the coach for Jessup), and I teach EU Law and Regulation of Startups at the master’s level.
How do you approach the methodology of comparative law in your course?
Initially, I present the concepts, analyze them, and explain their theoretical and philosophical scope. Then, I focus on legal order and present the application of the concept in practice. Once the students have seen the theoretical and practical dimensions of a concept, I examine the application of the same concept in another legal order. I focus on the similarities and dissimilarities and I try to explain what differentiates the application of the concepts.
Furthermore, I ask the students to conduct research and make presentations about the same concepts in their country of origin. Hence, the comparative scope of a concept is widened.
In a word, IE Law School graduates are “cosmopolitan.” Comparative law matches their representation of a borderless world where different cultures and civilizations meet and interact.
What is, in your opinion, the added value of teaching with the comparative law methodology in an international environment?
What makes IE University a unique institution is the diversity of the student body. The methodology of comparative law allows the students to bring experiences from their legal orders to class. Thus, the students’ horizons are broadened as the comparative law analysis becomes enriched with the input of the students.
How would you define an IE Law School graduate? And how does the methodology of comparative law contribute to this profile?
In a word, IE Law School graduates are “cosmopolitan.” They have grown up in different countries, they have studied in international schools, and they speak more than one language. Comparative law matches their representation of a borderless world where different cultures and civilizations meet and interact.
Antonios’ experience, expertise, and global mindset are key to developing the skills of the next generation of impactful lawyers. His ability to simultaneously focus on the theory and practical application of concepts is essential to ensure students develop the varied skill set necessary in today’s legal landscape. Antonios represents what makes the talented IE University faculty and institution stand out as a unique bastion of higher education.
