The UNIDROIT Library is not just a study centre for those who take part in the legislative activities of the Organisation and for visiting researchers; it is also a focal point and meeting-place for people of different legal cultures that bears testimony to 80 years’ worth of legislative work by UNIDROIT and thus offers a unique research opportunity in an exceptional setting, that of Villa Aldobrandini located right in the centre of Rome.

Government officials and members of the legal profession, in particular academics and practitioners but also law students from all over the world, are welcome to use the UNIDROIT Library, subject to the Librarian's approval of their formal application. Applicants may use such approval to support their requests to potential sponsors (which may be the institution to which they belong, private or public donors, institutions that promote legal research and legal reform, etc.) to finance their stay in Rome. Projects relating to UNIDROIT’s past legislative activities as well as subjects on the current UNIDROIT Work Programme are given special attention in this connection. A good working knowledge of English and/or French is indispensable.

Librarian: Ms Bettina Maxion b.maxion@unidroit.org

In line with UNIDROIT’s legal co-operation activities, a Scholarships Programme has been developed for top-level lawyers from developing countries or countries in economic transition. Since 1993, when the Programme was first launched, it has hosted more than 180 researchers from some 50 countries.

Funding : The 2007-2008 Research Scholarships Programme is currently funded by the following donors (the number of grants provided by each donor is intended as a guide only):

• the Government of the People’s Republic of China: 2 grants, with priority to be given to applicants from the People’s Republic of China and the Asian region;
• the UNIDROIT General Budget: 5 grants (as a rule, funding covers part of the scholarships, the difference to be made up by another donor identified by the applicant her/himself);
• the UNIDROIT Governing Council, on a personal basis: 1 grant;
• the Secretary-General of UNIDROIT, on a personal basis: 1 grant;
• the UK Foundation for International Uniform Law: 1-2 grants for three / four months for academic research on any of the subjects on the Institute’s current Work Programme.

[Donors in previous years : Agence de la Francophonie (ACCT); Associazione Italiana Leasing (ASSILEA); Aviation Working Group; Council of Europe; Governments of Finland, France, Republic of Korea, Spain, and Sweden; Russian Foundation for Legal Reforms (Moscow); Transnational Law & Business Studies (Seoul, Korea)]

A scholarship (average length: six to eight weeks; four months in the case of the UK Foundation for International Uniform Law) may cover all or part of the cost of living in Rome for the designated period, but beneficiaries are in principle expected to meet their own travel expenses.

Scholarships are awarded by the UNIDROIT Governing Council or by the Secretary-General acting on its behalf, upon the recommendation of the Scholarships Committee and applying the following criteria (subject to any specific requirements on the part of donors):

• the subject of the candidate’s research project, which must be related to uniform law / international private law (see details of the holdings of the UNIDROIT Library), preference being given to subjects that fit in with the Organisation’s Work Programme;
• the project’s potential for practical application in the beneficiary’s country of origin, preference being given to projects relating to the drafting of national laws or which aim at promoting the adoption of uniform law instruments;
• the candidate's qualifications (“graduate” or “post-graduate”) and position (academic, civil servant, judge, practitioner);

UNIDROIT Research Scholarships Programme : Regulations

At the end of their stay, scholars are required to submit a report on the research they have carried out at UNIDROIT. Contributions of a sufficiently high scientific level may be submitted for possible publication in the Uniform Law Review / Revue de droit uniforme.

To apply, please fill in the application form in pdf or in WORD format and return it together with the requested documents before 10 April 2008 for consideration by the Scholarships Committee at its forthcoming meeting.

UNIDROIT Scholarships,
To the attention of Ms Laura Tikanvaara,
Via Panisperna 28,
00184 Rome, Italy
e-mail : l.tikanvaara@unidroit.org

The Secretariat is open to any project for co-operation with national universities or research centres with a view to organising joint scholarships in accordance with the objectives of each of the institutions involved. Possible co-operation formulae include the granting of a UNIDROIT research period as a bonus in the framework of doctoral studies or competitions among young professors, such a period to be funded jointly or sponsored in full by the associated institution or a third party of its choice.

Associated institutions

• Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, Lausanne, Switzerland - http://www.isdc.ch/
  
• Universidad argentina de la Empresa (UADE) - http://www.uade.edu.ar
  
• International Trade Center (CCI) – WTO/UNCTAD - http://www.intracen.org/
  
• International Trade Law Post Graduate Course (ILO), Turin, Italy – http://tradelaw.iuse.it/