“The Rule of Law Depends on All of Us”: Public Lecture within First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit

Mariupol State University became an important contributor to the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The event, initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, as an international platform of soft power and dialogue, aims to unite representatives of partner countries to jointly seek solutions, exchange experience and innovations in overcoming humanitarian challenges.

This year’s Summit theme, “Education That Shapes the World”, includes four thematic areas: access to education, teaching, implementation of technologies and innovations, and the role of education in peacebuilding. These topics were discussed during events featuring policymakers, scholars, educators, and IT experts. A university with Mariupol identity served as one of the platforms for public dialogue.

On September 10, the MSU front office welcomed Professor Dominik Brodowski, an expert in criminal and criminal procedural law and Vice President for Internationalization and European Relations at Saarland University (Germany). Professor Brodowski delivered a lecture titled “Five Lessons in Law, or How Education Strengthens the Rule of Law.” More than 100 interested students, lecturers, and legal practitioners attended.

Drawing on his own experience and concrete examples from European law, the speaker explained the importance of legal education, how to defend justice, engage in constructive dialogue, and counter authoritarian tendencies. He emphasized that legal knowledge should be accessible not only to lawyers but to every citizen.

The rule of law depends on all of us, on our trust, our support, and our commitment to follow, challenge, and improve the law. Basic legal education is vital for sustaining the rule of law, and the rule of law is essential for resolving conflicts, maintaining peace, and upholding freedom — both individually and at the state level. May the rule of law flourish, especially here in Ukraine, which is defending Europe and European values from populism, aggression, and injustice,

— says Professor Dominik Brodowski.

After the lecture, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss prospects for applying legal knowledge in modern Ukrainian realities and in the country’s post-war recovery. The audience asked how young people can contribute to protecting rights during wartime, how to ensure stability of legal systems for citizens and businesses, and how education can make legislation more effective.