More than 40 academics and students from twenty universities in Europe and America participated in a virtual course funded by the European Union.

From December 1 to 10, 2025, the first Training Course: "Rule of Law, Democracy and Human Rights in the European Union: Current Status and Future Perspectives" was held with notable success. The initiative, organized under the direction of Prof. Dr. Harold Bertot Triana from the Universidad Internacional de la Empresa (UNIE), brought together dozens of virtual participants from over thirty academic institutions in Spain, Poland, Serbia, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Italy, Morocco, among other countries.

The course, which is part of the Jean Monnet Module "Rule of law, democracy and human rights as elements of cohesion and survival of the European Union: areas of action and improvement" (RDH), Project No. 101233195 (funded by the European Union under project No. 101233195), offered 20 hours of in-depth analysis on the fundamental pillars of the EU. The program combined theoretical perspectives with the examination of practical cases and specific challenges in different member states and associated countries.

A Program with a Multinational and Critical Focus

Over ten days, leading experts broke down the complex reality of the Rule of Law in the European context:

• The opening session was led by the course director, Prof. Bertot Triana, who addressed the historical construction and future challenges of the Rule of Law in the EU.
• The Spanish panorama was analyzed from a dual perspective: the procedural system and the application of artificial intelligence, led by Prof. Xulio Ferreiro Baamande (Universidade da Coruña), and the challenges in Public Administration, in a joint session by María José Molina García (UNIE) and Prof. Bertot.
• A look at Eastern Europe included specific sessions on the challenges in the judicial systems of Poland, with Prof. Barbara Janusz-Pohl (Adam Mickiewicz University), and of Serbia, with researchers Marina Matić Bošković and Jelena Kostić.
• The fundamental values of the EU – democracy, the Rule of Law, and human rights – and their protection were presented in two sessions by Prof. Elena Carolina Díaz Galán from Rey Juan Carlos University.
• The closing session, again led by Prof. Bertot, served to report and synthesize the main conclusions of the course, outlining a map of the current situation and future perspectives.

A Global Academic Community

The high level of participation demonstrated the broad, cross-cutting interest these topics generate. Among the institutions represented by attendees were, in addition to the host UNIE Universidad, the Universidade da Coruña and Adam Mickiewicz University, among others.

The international dimension was notable, with a strong presence of participants from the Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino (UNSTA) in Argentina, along with other Argentine institutions such as the Universidad Católica de Santa Fe and the Universidad Nacional de Rosario. The Universidad Patagonia Argentina, the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (Mexico), the Universidad de Piura (Peru), and the Universidad Privada Cesar Vallejo (Peru) also actively participated.

From Europe, in addition to the universities of the speakers, participants were registered from the Pan-European University and the Università di Padova. The connection with North Africa was represented by the Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi and its Faculté des sciences juridiques, économiques et sociales de Tanger (Morocco).

A Space for Dialogue and Reflection

The course not only met its training objective but also established itself as a space for transatlantic academic dialogue. The sessions, conducted in Spanish and English, facilitated the exchange of experiences and approaches to common problems, such as judicial independence, public administration efficiency, and the effective protection of human rights.

The organizers highlighted the quality of the presentations and the commitment of the attendees, who could request a certificate of participation. This first course sets a precedent for future editions and strengthens the network of collaboration between universities around the values that define and challenge the European project.