Former Rector of Humboldt University of Berlin, Dr Dr Stefan Grundmann receives the title of doctor honoris causa of the NKUA’s School of Law

The former Rector of Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany), Professor of Private and Business Law at the same University, and Professor of Transnational Law and Theory at the European University Institute of Florence (Italy), Dr Dr Stefan Grundmann, was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa of the School of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The awarding ceremony took place on Monday, 4 November 2024, at 19:00, at the Great Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (main building, 30 Panepistimiou St).

Addressing the ceremony was the NKUA’s Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, International Relations, and Extroversion, Professor Sophia Papaioannou.

The work and personality of the honouree were presented by:

• Professor of Commercial Law and Head of the Department of Private Law B at the NKUA’s School of Law, Ms Alexandra Mikroulea, and
• Professor of Civil Law and Director of the LLM in International and European Legal Studies of the NKUA’s School of Law, Ms Paraskevi Paparseniou.

Immediately afterwards, the Dean of the NKUA’s School of Law, Professor Dr Dr Konstantinos Christodoulou, read the School’s Resolution, the Award, and the Honorary Diploma and invested the honouree with the gown of the School.

The ceremony concluded with the honouree, Dr Dr Stefan Grundmann, delivering a speech entitled ‘The EU Sustainable Enterprise and a Shift of Paradigm in Theory’.

In her address to the honouree, the NKUA’s Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, International Relations, and Extroversion, Professor Sophia Papaioannou, said, among other things, the following: ‘Professor Grundmann has produced a series of studies, now reference works in Contract Law, Company and Banking Law, European Private Law, and Theory of Law (…)

Professor Grundmann’s list of publications is impressively extensive. He has authored 27 monographs in German and English on European Company Law, Banking Law, Contract Law, and Private International Law. He has also edited or co-edited 40 volumes and has contributed over 150 articles and book chapters to collective works. His studies are systematically comparative and fall within the wider European context. Typical of this approach is a volume entitled “Private Law Development in Context: German Private Law and Scholarship in the 20^th Century”, in its English translation (the study was originally published in German), which the honouree has jointly edited with Professor Karl Riesenhuber. The volume examines the work of 37 well-known German Professors of Private Law, but, in fact, through the presentation of these personalities, it discusses the evolution of Private Law over the last century in Germany and the rest of Europe. Professor Grundmann’s writings have an element of erudition and intellect in them, which it would not be exaggerated to describe as impressive.’