On June 1^st, the Legal Studies departments at St. Jerome’s University (SJU) and the University of Waterloo launch their first joint seminar series. The inaugural event features Ntina Tzouvala, Senior Lecturer in the Australian National University College of Law, speaking about her most recently published work The Specter of Eurocentrism in International Legal History. Tzouvala’s piece appeared recently in the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities, and provides insight into the profoundly Eurocentric history of international law.

“We are very excited that Dr. Tzouvala has agreed to help us kick off the seminar series,” noted SJU Legal Studies Assistant Professor, Honor Brabazon, who is coordinating the seminar series with Adam Molnar, an assistant professor in UWaterloo’s Sociology and Legal Studies Department. “This topic will be of interest to anyone who has been reflecting on our obligations under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and specifically the urgent need to decolonize legal education.”

Tzouvala’s work focuses on the political economy of international law, and how capitalism, racism, and the patriarchy intersect in different legal fields. Her first monograph, Capitalism as Civilisation: A History of International Law, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. Her work has also appeared in the European Journal of International Law, Leiden Journal of International Law, and UCLA Law Review. Tzouvala is a member of the editorial collective of the Third World Approaches to International Law Review and serves as Senior Advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. 

“At a time of many conversations about equity, Dr. Tzouvala’s work helps us to be precise about what we mean by Eurocentrism and to recognize that addressing Eurocentrism goes far beyond quick fixes like better representation,” added Brabazon. “We are pleased to have this engaging topic and speaker to help us launch this series.”

The Legal Studies seminar series offers a space for legal studies faculty and students to come together and discuss emerging research in the field and to connect with scholars in the area. The complementary lectures are also open to all members of the public.

To register your participation in the inaugural Tzouvala event, taking place on Zoom on June 1^st at 6 p.m., please use the following link. For more information about the lecture, please contact Honor Brabazon at honor.brabazon@uwaterloo.ca.