Honorary Lectures by Professors Roberto Caranta and Dapo Akande

The Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen warmly invites you to an afternoon of honorary lectures

Professor Roberto Caranta and Professor Dapo Akande will be awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Copenhagen at the Annual commemoration on 13 November 2026, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the fields of public procurement law and public international law. To mark this occasion, they will deliver honorary lectures on current developments in their respective fields.

Following the lectures, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion. The event concludes with a reception.

You are warmly welcome to attend both honorary lectures or either of them individually.

The event will be held in English.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but registration is required via jurfak@jur.ku.dk
Please register, no later than Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at 10:00.
When registering, please state whether you wish to attend both honorary lectures or only one of them.

Programme
15:30-15:35
Welcome by Kristian Cedervall Lauta, Acting Dean and Professor, University of Copenhagen
15:35-15:40
Introduction of Honorary Doctor Professor Roberto Caranta
by Professor Carina Risvig Hamer, University of Copenhagen
15:40-16:00
A Big Bang for Public Procurement?
Lecture by Professor Roberto Caranta, University of Turin
16:00-16:10
Questions from the audience
16:10-16:15
Short break
16:15-16:20
Introduction of Honorary Doctor Professor Dapo Akande
by Professor Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, University of Copenhagen
16:20-16:40
The ICJ and the Protection of Human Rights
Lecture by Professor Dapo Akande, University of Oxford
16:40-16:50
Questions from the audience
16:50-16:55
Closing remarks
by Kristian Cedervall Lauta, Acting Dean and Professor, University of Copenhagen
16:55-17:00
Reception

A brief description of Professor Roberto Caranta’s talk
A Big Bang for Public Procurement?

EU law of public procurement and concessions, together accounting for approximately 15% of GDP across the 27 EU Member States, is on the verge of major reform with significant implications for national legal systems.

A first change may concern the choice of legal instrument, with a regulation potentially replacing directives through the European Commission’s proposed Public Procurement Act. Linked to the recommendations of the Letta and Draghi reports, this development is associated with the creation of a European IT facility enabling companies to more easily demonstrate their credentials across Member States.

A second change involves a stronger recognition of public procurement as a tool for achieving broader societal and policy objectives, including climate action, supply-chain resilience, industrial policy and potentially protectionist objectives.

A third change concerns granting greater discretion to public purchasers while simultaneously strengthening their professional competencies.

Although the legislative process is only beginning, the lecture will explore whether these reforms can withstand the realities of practice and effectively contribute to the societal and policy goals they are intended to serve.

About Professor Roberto Caranta
Professor Roberto Caranta is Professor of Law at the University of Turin. His research focuses on public procurement law, sustainable public procurement, remedies, European Union law and comparative administrative law, with particular attention to judicial protection.

A brief description of Professor Dapo Akande’s talk
The ICJ and the Protection of Human Rights
Abstract to be announced.

About Professor Dapo Akande
Professor Dapo Akande is Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford, a member of the United Nations International Law Commission, and was elected judge of the International Court of Justice on 3 November 2026