• learn about the basics of synchronic linguistics,
• get to know some descriptive and analytic tools used in linguistics,
• practice linguistic analyses in the areas of sounds, words, and sentences,
• find out what is of interest to you in linguistics,
• learn to work with English textbooks,
• and learn to accumulate and aggregate information from different sources.

• There is one end of term exam for all students of all Introduction to Linguistics courses.
• The exam takes place in week 15 or 16 of the semester.
• All students must register for the exam via the online system Portal2 when registration is open. The examination office will inform you via email/newsletter about registration dates.
• If you have not successfully completed the requirements, you will be deregistered from the exam. You will know if you passed 2/3 tests in week 14 of the semester.
• Exam questions reflect the structure of the course. Major topic areas account for equal proportions of the exam, i.e., 1/3 of questions on Intro&Sounds, 1/3 on Words, 1/3 on Sentences. These proportions are reflected in the scoring of the exam.

Die Veranstaltung schließt mit einer Klausur ab.

Die Veranstaltung schließt mit einer Klausur ab.

The amount and value of new digital objects appeared due to the ongoing development of information technologies and covered by the concept “digital assets” is constantly and impressively growing.  However, the legal landscape for such objects is still under considerations. The main issue that needs to be resolved to ensure rights of digital assets’ holders is which legal provisions are the most appropriate for the regulation of relations regarding digital assets.
This course aims to both give understanding of the digital assets and ways to protect rights to digital assets in terms of current legislation and case law as well as defining digital ownership as a perspective way to protect rights to digital assets. It is also important to understand the border between data and digital assets, how these two groups of digital objects are correlated and what are the differences in their protection. That is why the course embraces also the basics of data protection. Based on that, the course covers such topics:
 

• Digital assets: notion, types, legal landscape
• Digital ownership: European and American perspectives
• Digital assets and data: the basics of data protection
• Personal and machine-generated data ownership issues
• Cryptocurrencies, NFT and other crypto-assets
• Social media and online gaming accounts
• Digital inheritance

The first topic aims to introduce current approaches to the definition of digital assets, describe types of digital assets and recent legislative findings on digital assets regulation.
In the second chapter the concept of digital ownership as a type of ownership will be described, current developments on implementing this concept in European and American legal field will be highlighted, the feasibility and necessity of this concept for protection of rights to digital assets will be explained.
The third section covers basics of privacy law, data protection, gives understanding of Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), the link between data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Issues of correlation between information and data concepts will be discussed in this section.
The fourth chapter looks into the current legal regulation of personal data and machine-generated data, aiming to describe the concept of data ownership and its correlation with digital ownership.
The fifth chapter aims to discuss approach to legal regulation of cryptocurrencies and other crypto-assets both at the European and national legislative level. It specifically focuses on the issues of NFT, including their transfer and connection to intellectual property rights.
Social media and online gaming accounts will be discussed from the digital ownership perspective. Tradable elements of the account will be revealed, current possibilities to protect rights and get benefits from social and online gaming accounts considering provisions of the Terms of Service will be discussed.
In the section on digital inheritance current issues and instruments to define post-mortal fate of digital assets will be discussed. Possible legal frames for common and civil law to dispose of digital assets will be highlighted, the US experience to solve this issue will be considered. 

Learning outcomes and qualification goals:
The course intends to provide students with a deeper understanding of the digital assets concept and approaches to protect rights to digital assets.

Exam type: essay

Special Requirements: participation in discussions, presentation of the key topics during the course is required.


About the Lecturer:

Prof. Dr. Kateryna Nekit is a Professor in the Civil Law Department at the National University “Odesa Law Academy” and currently serves as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Mannheim. In 2022, she completed her habilitation thesis on the right to private property in the information society and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science (equivalent to Dr. Habil.).
From August 2022 to July 2023, she was a Guest Researcher at the Center for SME Research and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mannheim, where she led the project “Digital Assets in the Activities of Technology-Oriented Startups”. Drawing on this experience, she developed the course “Digital Assets Regulation”, which she has been teaching at the University of Mannheim since 2023.
Since 2023, she has also been an invited speaker at Mannheim Business School and a Guest Professor at the Salzburg Summer School on Private Law. In 2024, she served as a Guest Professor at the University of Brescia (Italy), delivering a lecture series titled “Legal Implications of Digital Assets” for PhD students.
Her research focuses on digital property and the role of data in the digital age.

 

• Concept and different forms of companies
• Public international law of companies
• Private international law of companies
• Comparative company law
• Companies in international dispute resolution

• Cahn, Andreas/Donald, David C.: Comparative Company Law, 2nd edition, Cambridge 2020, Cambridge University Press
• Gerner-Beuerle, Carsten/Anderson Schillig, Michael: Comparative Company Law, Oxford 2018, Oxford University Press
• Kraakman, Reinier et al.: The Anatomy of Corporate Law, 3rd edition, Oxford 2017, Oxford University Press

Course Description

This course introduces students to the foundations, structures, and contemporary challenges of public international law as the legal framework governing relations among states and other international actors. It explores how international law is created, interpreted, and enforced, and how it interacts with global politics, power, and institutions.
The course covers the classical foundations of the international legal system – such as sources of international law, statehood, jurisdiction, and responsibility – while also addressing its evolution in response to modern challenges including armed conflict, human rights protection, accountability for international crimes, and the role of international organizations. Particular attention is paid to the United Nations system, international dispute settlement, and the regulation of the use of force.
Throughout the course, students will engage critically with international law both as a normative system and as a practical instrument of global governance. Current developments – such as pending cases before the International Court of Justice, Security Council practice, and emerging trends in international adjudication – are regularly integrated into class discussions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
•    Explain the nature, functions, and limits of public international law
•    Identify and critically assess the sources of international law
•    Analyse the legal status and roles of states, international organizations, and individuals
•    Apply core doctrines of international law to contemporary case studies
•    Evaluate the interaction between international law and domestic legal systems
•    Critically assess the effectiveness and legitimacy of international dispute settlement mechanisms
•    Engage with current international legal debates in a structured and legally informed manner

Indicative topics include:
•    The nature and functions of international law
•    Sources of international law: treaties, customary international law, general principles of law
•    Subjects and participants: statehood, recognition, legal personality, diplomatic protection
•    Territory and acquisition of title
•    Jurisdiction and immunities
•    State responsibility and countermeasures
•    Relationship between international and domestic law
•    The United Nations system: General Assembly, Security Council, peacekeeping operations
•    International dispute settlement and the International Court of Justice
•    International human rights law
•    The prohibition of the use of force, self-defence, and collective security
•    Contemporary challenges: accountability mechanisms, armed conflict, and emerging jurisprudence

Teaching Format

The course is delivered across three full teaching days, held in a block format that is not consecutive. Each teaching day combines lecture-based sessions with interactive discussion components.
The lecture parts introduce and systematise the core doctrines, concepts, and institutional structures of public international law. The discussion parts build on these foundations through the analysis of selected case law, primary legal materials, and contemporary developments, including recent and pending proceedings before international courts and tribunals.
Given the intensive nature of each teaching day, students are expected to complete assigned readings in advance and to participate actively in class discussions. The non-consecutive block format allows students time between sessions to consolidate material and to prepare for subsequent topics.

Assessment

•    Research paper (primary assessment component)
•    Oral participation (contributes to the final grade)
Detailed guidelines on the research paper (topic selection, length, citation standards) will be provided during the course.

Introductory Reading (Optional)

Students who wish to prepare in advance may consult the following introductory texts:

•    Crawford, James, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law, 9th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2019)
•    Evans, Malcolm D. (ed.), International Law, 6th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2023)
•    Kaczorowska-Ireland, Alina, Public International Law, 6th ed. (Routledge, 2023)
•    Shaw, Malcolm N., International Law, 9th ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2021)
Required readings and additional materials will be provided electronically throughout the course.

Target Audience

The course is open to Bachelor and Master students and is particularly recommended for students of Political Science, International Relations, Law, and related disciplines.Course Description

 

The amount and value of new digital objects appeared due to the ongoing development of information technologies and covered by the concept “digital assets” is constantly and impressively growing.  However, the legal landscape for such objects is still under considerations. The main issue that needs to be resolved to ensure rights of digital assets’ holders is which legal provisions are the most appropriate for the regulation of relations regarding digital assets.
This course aims to both give understanding of the digital assets and ways to protect rights to digital assets in terms of current legislation and case law as well as defining digital ownership as a perspective way to protect rights to digital assets. It is also important to understand the border between data and digital assets, how these two groups of digital objects are correlated and what are the differences in their protection. That is why the course embraces also the basics of data protection. Based on that, the course covers such topics:
 

• Digital assets: notion, types, legal landscape
• Digital ownership: European and American perspectives
• Digital assets and data: the basics of data protection
• Personal and machine-generated data ownership issues
• Cryptocurrencies, NFT and other crypto-assets
• Social media and online gaming accounts
• Digital inheritance

The first topic aims to introduce current approaches to the definition of digital assets, describe types of digital assets and recent legislative findings on digital assets regulation.
In the second chapter the concept of digital ownership as a type of ownership will be described, current developments on implementing this concept in European and American legal field will be highlighted, the feasibility and necessity of this concept for protection of rights to digital assets will be explained.
The third section covers basics of privacy law, data protection, gives understanding of Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), the link between data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Issues of correlation between information and data concepts will be discussed in this section.
The fourth chapter looks into the current legal regulation of personal data and machine-generated data, aiming to describe the concept of data ownership and its correlation with digital ownership.
The fifth chapter aims to discuss approach to legal regulation of cryptocurrencies and other crypto-assets both at the European and national legislative level. It specifically focuses on the issues of NFT, including their transfer and connection to intellectual property rights.
Social media and online gaming accounts will be discussed from the digital ownership perspective. Tradable elements of the account will be revealed, current possibilities to protect rights and get benefits from social and online gaming accounts considering provisions of the Terms of Service will be discussed.
In the section on digital inheritance current issues and instruments to define post-mortal fate of digital assets will be discussed. Possible legal frames for common and civil law to dispose of digital assets will be highlighted, the US experience to solve this issue will be considered. 

Learning outcomes and qualification goals:
The course intends to provide students with a deeper understanding of the digital assets concept and approaches to protect rights to digital assets.

Exam type: essay

Special Requirements: participation in discussions, presentation of the key topics during the course is required.


About the Lecturer:

Prof. Dr. Kateryna Nekit is a Professor in the Civil Law Department at the National University “Odesa Law Academy” and currently serves as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Mannheim. In 2022, she completed her habilitation thesis on the right to private property in the information society and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science (equivalent to Dr. Habil.).
From August 2022 to July 2023, she was a Guest Researcher at the Center for SME Research and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mannheim, where she led the project “Digital Assets in the Activities of Technology-Oriented Startups”. Drawing on this experience, she developed the course “Digital Assets Regulation”, which she has been teaching at the University of Mannheim since 2023.
Since 2023, she has also been an invited speaker at Mannheim Business School and a Guest Professor at the Salzburg Summer School on Private Law. In 2024, she served as a Guest Professor at the University of Brescia (Italy), delivering a lecture series titled “Legal Implications of Digital Assets” for PhD students.
Her research focuses on digital property and the role of data in the digital age.

 

• Concept and different forms of companies
• Public international law of companies
• Private international law of companies
• Comparative company law
• Companies in international dispute resolution

• Cahn, Andreas/Donald, David C.: Comparative Company Law, 2nd edition, Cambridge 2020, Cambridge University Press
• Gerner-Beuerle, Carsten/Anderson Schillig, Michael: Comparative Company Law, Oxford 2018, Oxford University Press
• Kraakman, Reinier et al.: The Anatomy of Corporate Law, 3rd edition, Oxford 2017, Oxford University Press

Course Description

This course introduces students to the foundations, structures, and contemporary challenges of public international law as the legal framework governing relations among states and other international actors. It explores how international law is created, interpreted, and enforced, and how it interacts with global politics, power, and institutions.
The course covers the classical foundations of the international legal system – such as sources of international law, statehood, jurisdiction, and responsibility – while also addressing its evolution in response to modern challenges including armed conflict, human rights protection, accountability for international crimes, and the role of international organizations. Particular attention is paid to the United Nations system, international dispute settlement, and the regulation of the use of force.
Throughout the course, students will engage critically with international law both as a normative system and as a practical instrument of global governance. Current developments – such as pending cases before the International Court of Justice, Security Council practice, and emerging trends in international adjudication – are regularly integrated into class discussions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
•    Explain the nature, functions, and limits of public international law
•    Identify and critically assess the sources of international law
•    Analyse the legal status and roles of states, international organizations, and individuals
•    Apply core doctrines of international law to contemporary case studies
•    Evaluate the interaction between international law and domestic legal systems
•    Critically assess the effectiveness and legitimacy of international dispute settlement mechanisms
•    Engage with current international legal debates in a structured and legally informed manner

Indicative topics include:
•    The nature and functions of international law
•    Sources of international law: treaties, customary international law, general principles of law
•    Subjects and participants: statehood, recognition, legal personality, diplomatic protection
•    Territory and acquisition of title
•    Jurisdiction and immunities
•    State responsibility and countermeasures
•    Relationship between international and domestic law
•    The United Nations system: General Assembly, Security Council, peacekeeping operations
•    International dispute settlement and the International Court of Justice
•    International human rights law
•    The prohibition of the use of force, self-defence, and collective security
•    Contemporary challenges: accountability mechanisms, armed conflict, and emerging jurisprudence

Teaching Format

The course is delivered across three full teaching days, held in a block format that is not consecutive. Each teaching day combines lecture-based sessions with interactive discussion components.
The lecture parts introduce and systematise the core doctrines, concepts, and institutional structures of public international law. The discussion parts build on these foundations through the analysis of selected case law, primary legal materials, and contemporary developments, including recent and pending proceedings before international courts and tribunals.
Given the intensive nature of each teaching day, students are expected to complete assigned readings in advance and to participate actively in class discussions. The non-consecutive block format allows students time between sessions to consolidate material and to prepare for subsequent topics.

Assessment

•    Research paper (primary assessment component)
•    Oral participation (contributes to the final grade)
Detailed guidelines on the research paper (topic selection, length, citation standards) will be provided during the course.

Introductory Reading (Optional)

Students who wish to prepare in advance may consult the following introductory texts:

•    Crawford, James, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law, 9th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2019)
•    Evans, Malcolm D. (ed.), International Law, 6th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2023)
•    Kaczorowska-Ireland, Alina, Public International Law, 6th ed. (Routledge, 2023)
•    Shaw, Malcolm N., International Law, 9th ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2021)
Required readings and additional materials will be provided electronically throughout the course.

Target Audience

The course is open to Bachelor and Master students and is particularly recommended for students of Political Science, International Relations, Law, and related disciplines.Course Description