The Summer School on "International Criminal Justice - Theoretical and Comparative Aspects" organized by the Institute of Comparative and Transnational Criminal Law at the TSU Faculty of Law, in collaboration with the Constitutional Court of Georgia, within the scientific project of the Volkswagen Foundation – “The Role of International Criminal Law in Georgia” took place in Batumi on September 27-30, 2023.

The Summer School was supported by Volkswagen Scientific Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Comparative and Transnational Criminal Law of the TSU Faculty of Law, the Constitutional Court of Georgia, the law faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Philipps University Marburg and the Faculty of Sociology of Bielefeld University.

A total of 16 undergraduate and graduate students from the law faculties of accredited higher education institutions in Georgia participated in the summer school. They had the unique opportunity to enhance their understanding of international criminal law.

Throughout the Summer School, the distinguished Georgian and international professors, as well as practicing lawyers, delivered presentations. Among them were Prof. Dr. Merab Turava - President of the Constitutional Court of Georgia; Prof. Dr. Gocha Lordkipanidze - Judge of the International Criminal Court; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Giorgi Tumanishvili and Assoc. Prof. Giorgi Dgebuadze from TSU; Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bock from the Philipps University Marburg; Prof. Dr. Annette Weinke from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Dr. Mayeul Hiéramente from Hamburg; British barrister Adetokunbo Hussain; Prof. Dr. Edward Schramm from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Prof. Dr. Boris Burghardt from the Philipps University Marburg and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

As part of the project, students had the valuable opportunity to gain insights into the development of international criminal justice directly from individuals who played pivotal roles in the negotiations of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. They also received information on the legal intricacies surrounding the development and ratification of the Rome Statute. Additionally, the sessions explored the relationship between Georgian criminal law and the Rome Statute.

The objective of the Summer School is to enhance knowledge and interest in international criminal law among students and young researchers. Furthermore, the project aims to elevate the role of international criminal law in Georgia while fostering deeper collaboration between higher educational institutions across various countries and international justice institutions in Georgia.

The scientific project of the Volkswagen Foundation commenced in 2019 and has successfully organized numerous significant event since then. Leading professors from both Georgian and international universities, alongside judges and experts from local and international courts, actively engage in the project's activities. In 2022, a summer school took place in Germany, offering numerous Georgian students the unique chance to further enrich their understanding of international criminal law.

The Summer School was organized by Prof. Dr. Edward Schramm from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena; Prof. Dr. Boris Burghardt from the Philipps University Marburg and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Giorgi Dgebuadze from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.