Leonard Besselink is widely known for his work on the constitutional order of the European Union. Through his research and teaching he has developed the concept of composite constitution, which has had important descriptive and normative implications for EU constitutional research. Professor Besselink’s work suggests that globalization has triggered a change in the paradigm of composite constitutionalism. In his Inaugural Lecture, he argues that our changing understanding of the state, given the context of a multi-level globalized world, affects our understanding of staatsrecht  (i.e. the law related to the state) and necessitates a revaluation of this field of law.

Professor Besselink brings a rich experience from many universities: specializing in European and international law at the University of Leiden as well as at the Académie de Droit International de la Haye, and at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, he completed his doctorate at the European University Institute where he was later a Visiting Professor and Fellow of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies.  Before joining the ACELG, Professor Besselink occupied the Jean Monnet Chair of EU Constitutional Law at Utrecht University for five years.

Leonard Besselink’s work compliments and extends the field of research in ACELG by focusing on constitutional developments at the European level, their relation to national constitutions and international law, both in a comparative and historic manner. In these fields, Besselink has an excellent publishing record. His latest publication is: ‘Should the European Union  Ratify the European Convention of Human Rights. Some Remarks on the Relations between the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice’ in: Constituting Europe. The European Court of Human Rights in  National, European and Global Context, edited by Andreas Føllesdal, Birgit Peters, Geir Ulfstein (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

The ACELG is excited to add Professor Besselink’s expertise to its research agenda and looks forward to a dynamic discussion on (EU) constitutionalism.