Professor Irene Couzigou

Biography

Professor Irène Couzigou researches in the field of general Public International Law, including International Human Rights Law. Her current research focuses on International Law on Peace and Security, especially International Law on Cybersecurity, International Law on the Use of Force and United Nations Law. Having been trained up to her doctoral degree at the University of Paris II, Professor Couzigou keeps a strong research interest in French Public Law.

Professor Couzigou belonged to the Steering Committee of the Scottish Law and Innovation Network. She advised the Scottish government on its cyber resilience strategy, as well as the United Arab Emirates and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime on the use of the Internet by terrorists. Furthermore, she is a rapporteur for the Oxford University Press database on the Law of International Organizations. She serves as a monograph and textbook reviewer for Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Routledge.

Professor Couzigou teaches general and specialised courses in Public International Law, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Furthermore, she acts as the Law School LLM Director and a Law School senator. She is also the Law School research liaison officer: she represents the Society of Legal Scholars, convenes the Law School Research Seminar Series and welcomes visiting scholars.

Before coming to Aberdeen, Professor Couzigou researched and taught at the Universities of Paris II (France), Heidelberg (Germany), and Mannheim (Germany). Professor Couzigou was a Research Fellow of the University of Paris II, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Max Planck Institute for Public Comparative Law and International Law. She can read, speak, and write at academic level in English, French, and German.

Research Overview

EXPERTISE

Public International Law, especially:

• The Law of Peace and Security
• International Cybersecurity Law
• The Law of International Organisations
• International and European Human Rights Law 

Comparative Public Law, especially:

• French Public Law
• German Public Law

 RECENT CONFERENCE PAPERS

• April 2023: Paper at the workshop of the Universities of Lorraine and Rouen': 'Understanding and Adapting to Hybrid Warfare': 'The Qualification of a Cyberattack: Imprecise Criteria'
• September 2021: Paper at the conference of the Society of Legal Scholars: 'Delegation of Public Functions to Digital Companies: An Opportunity more than a Threat'
• July 2021: Paper at the panel 'Foreign Interference, Elections, and Democratic Speech: Comparative Approaches to a Global Challenge’ at the conference of the International Society of Public Law: ‘The Limits of Law? The Multifaceted Approach of the French Legislation to Tackle Foreign Election Interference through Digital Disinformation’
• June 2021: Paper at the conference ‘Commercial Law in a Time of Crises’ by the Centre for Commercial Law of the University of Aberdeen: ‘The Right to Cyber Self-Defence: A Controversial Solution for the Protection of Companies against Cyber Attacks’
• May 2021: Paper at the conference 'International Law and Distribution' at the University of Glasgow: 'Securing Information Technology: The Need for Collaboration between States and Private Actors'
• April 2021: Paper at the panel ‘Political Campaigns: Perspectives from Abroad’ at the workshop ‘Democracy and Governance in the Internet Era’ organised by the American Branch of the International Law Association and South University of Georgia: 'The French Legislation on the Fight against the Manipulation of Information: Limited Means to Counter Digital Disinformation in Electoral Campaigns'
• March 2021:  Paper at the conference 'Intelligence and Autonomous' at the Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania): 'The Empowerment of Platforms' Users against Online Disinformation: The French Legislation on the Fight against the Manipulation of Information'
• September 2020: Paper at the conference of the Society of Legal Scholars: ‘Public-Private Partnership in Securing Cyberspace’
• June 2019: Active participation in the workshop at the University of Glasgow: 'Exploring Normative Gaps: Issues and Developments in Cyber-Security' 
• Avril 2019: Paper at the Edinburgh-Glasgow International Law Workshop: ‘Towards a State-Private Actor Partnership in Securing Cyberspace’
• Avril 2019: Chair and discussant at the Workshop of the ESIL Interest Group on Peace and Security on ‘The Rule of Law in Cyberspace’
• Mars 2019: Paper at the conference organised by the East China University of Political Science and Law (Shanghai): ‘The Criminalization of Online Terrorism Preparatory Acts under International Law’
• November 2018: Research seminar at the University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany): ‘Unlawful State Cyber Operations under International Law’
• September 2018: Paper at the conference of the Society of Legal Scholars: 'Fundamental International Principles Challenged by the Use of the Internet by States'
• July 2018: Paper at the Forum on the Governance of the Internet in Paris: 'Reactions of States to Cyberattacks under International Law'
• June 2018: Paper at a conference organised by the University of Lorraine on the UN Security Council and Respect for Human Rights: 'Protection of Human Rights in Coercive Actions of the Security Council'
• April 2018: Paper at a conference organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in collaboration with Qatar University College of Law: 'A Necessary Treaty on the Criminalisation of Online Terrorism Preparatory Acts'
• April 2018: Paper at the Bileta (British and Irish Law Education and Technology association) conference: ‘Towards a New Category of Cyber Crime: Online Terrorism Preparatory Offenses’

CONSULTATIONS

• July 2020: Participation in the EU consultation on the Digital Services Act package
• October 2019: Participation in the workshop 'Constructing a Digital Environment' organised by the Natural Environment Research Council.
• February 2018: Feedback on 'Safe, secure and prosperous: a cyber-resilience strategy for Scotland. The Economic Opportunity. Key Actions 2018-2020 – Draft Document', prepared by the Scottish government.
• May 2017: Paper at the conference on cyberterrorism organised by the United Arab Emirates on Cyberterrorism: ‘The Necessity for an International Treaty on Cyberterrorism’
• November 2014: Paper at the conference organised by the London Centre of International Law Practice: ‘International Law on the Use of Force as a Response to Cyberterrorism’

Funding and Grants

Award from the Society of Legal Scholar (SLS)

Award from the British and Irish Law Education Technology Association (BILETA)

Fellow at Sciences Po Paris

Award of the Franco-British Lawyers Society

Fellow from the Hague Academy of International Law

Award by the Centre for Academic Development of the University of Aberdeen for good practice in teaching

Fellow of the German Academic Exchange Service

Fellow of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg (Germany)

Fellow of the German National Academic Foundation

Fellow of the University Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2)

Fellow of the French Ministry of Education 

Teaching Responsibilities

At the University of Aberdeen, Professor Irène Couzigou teaches general and specialised courses in Public International Law, including a new course on International Cybersecurity Law, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Furthermore, she taught French Law, Comparative Law, European Law, and UK Public Law.

Professor Couzigou also taught International Human Rights Law and the Law of International Organisations as an invited scholar at the University of Glasgow.

Before coming to Scotland, Professor Couzigou taught diverse courses in Public International Law and French Public Law at the University of Paris II (France), the University of Heidelberg (Germany), and the University of Mannheim (Germany).

Professor Couzigou supervises PhD students working in the field of Public International Law. She is particularly interested in PhD projects related to peace and security, especially cybersecurity.

Postgraduate courses taught at the University of Aberdeen:

• 'The Evolution of International Law in a World of Crises'
• 'International Law: A Time of Challenges'
• 'International Law'
• 'The Use of Force in International Law'
• 'International Cybersecurity Law'
• 'The Law of International Organisations'
• 'International Human Rights Law'
• 'Media Law'
• 'Law, Business, Security: Petroleum Data Management'

Undergraduate courses taught at the University of Aberdeen:

• 'The Evolution of International Law in a World of Crises'
• 'International Law: A Time of Challenges'
• 'International Law'
• 'The Use of Force in International Law'
• 'Public International Law'
• 'Politics and International Relations'
• 'Sustainable International Development'
• 'Introduction to French Law'
• 'Foundations of Public Law'
• 'Introduction to Comparative Law'
• 'Public Comparative Law'
• 'EU Institutions and Law'

PhD thesis supervised at the University of Aberdeen: 

• Benli Nurullah, Application of State Sovereignty over Cyberspace under International Law
• Enenu Okwori, An Analysis of the Right to Self-Defence against Non-State Actors in Cyberspace. Completed in 2022.
• Ezgi Ediboglu, The Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies under the Auspices of International Institutions:  Exploring the Necessity of a Trilateral Cooperation of the CoP of the UNFCCC, World Trade Organization and World Bank. Completed in 2020.
• Marianthi Pappa, The 'Butterfly Effect' in Maritime Boundary Dispute Resolution. Completed in 2018.
• Mohamad Janaby, The Legal Regime Applicable to Private Military and Security Company Personnel in Armed Conflicts. Completed in 2016. Published: Mohamad Janaby, The Legal Regime Applicable to Private Military and Security Company Personnel in Armed Conflicts, Springer, 2016, 237pp.
• Jing Qi, Britain’s Drug-Pushing Activities in China: The Two Opium Wars from the Perspective of their Lawyers and Legal Advisers. Completed in 2013.