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The event is part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Europa-Institut. The event is open to media representatives and to the public and will be held in English.
The following text has been machine translated from the German with no human editing.
Sexual and gender self-determination is a human right. However, people are still discriminated against or disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation, they experience violence and are even persecuted in many parts of the world. The conference will focus on topics such as the protection of sexual and gender identities, rights in the context of freedom of movement and privacy, EU values such as dignity and equality, and international sports rights. Developments in the USA will also be discussed. In addition, experts will discuss how the protection of sexual and gender minorities can be further developed.
The conference marks the departure of Professor Thomas Giegerich, who was Professor of European Law, International Law and Public Law at Saarland University until the end of September 2025. Since 2012, he has headed the Europa-Institut on the Saarbrücken campus together with Professor Marc Bungenberg. Giegerich held two prestigious Jean Monnet Chairs: one in European Integration, Anti-Discrimination, Human Rights and Diversity, and the other in European Law and European Integration. The European Commission awards these chairs to professors who focus their teaching and research activities on European issues and communicate these to the public. The legal scholar's research focuses on human rights protection, international treaty law and peaceful dispute resolution, among other topics. Thomas Giegerich has led numerous international research projects. With his involvement, the Europa-Institut, together with partner universities in South-Eastern Europe, won funding for the SEE-EU Cluster of Excellence, which was supported by the DAAD and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. On the Saarbrücken campus, he was also a founding member, collegium member and board member of the Cluster for European Research at Saarland University (CEUS). Giegerich's successor is Professor Till Patrik Holterhus.
The Europa-Institut is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The institute began as a place to promote understanding between European societies and has developed into an internationally renowned institution. A strong focus on the EU has been established here since 1951. Since 1980, renowned lecturers and practitioners have been teaching "European and International Law" at the Europa-Institut: the Master's programme attracts students from all over the world to Saarbrücken. Numerous alumni now work in high-ranking European and international institutions, and many of them return as lecturers.
Conference 12–13 March, Europa-Institut, Saarland University, Saarbrücken Campus, Building B2.1, from 10 a.m.
Programme: https://www.europainstitut.de/news/
https://www.europainstitut.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Bilder/News/Program_Conference_Farewell_Thomas_Giegerich_12___13_March_2026.pdf
Registration for the conference is open until 10 March at
https://forms.office.com/e/vrnPzSwkku
Questions answered by:
Annika Blaschke/Dr Alexandra Pfleger at conference@europainstitut.de
Press photos available for download:
Press photographs can be used free of charge with this press release or in connection with reports about Saarland University provided that a photo credit with the photographer’s name is included.
