Courses Offered in Vienna
The following classes were offered Summer 2020. Courses change each Summer, so be sure to check back for this summer’s offerings. Each summer will include a comparative law course and a special topic.
This course presupposes no advanced knowledge in computation. The only prerequisite is an introductory understanding of contract law. The course will broadly introduce selected intersections of commercial law and emerging computational technologies that promise the disintermediation of transactions. This course will satisfy the requirement for LAWR III and the experiential learning requirement. Students can opt to take this course pass/fail in lieu of fulfilling the LAWR III requirement. There will be no final exam.
In this course, the class performs interdisciplinary and on-the-ground research to explore supply-chain commercial law and the enhancements and disruptions posed by emerging computational technologies. While our taste buds may appreciate Vienna’s culinary scene—and they will, with weekly chocolate tastings—we often fail to appreciate the near-invisible supply chains that make this legacy possible. We take advantage of Vienna’s location by employing a foodie/culinary lens in this exploration. Austrian food and beverages are associated with high quality and exacting standards. The economic impact of these standards will be explored. Students will learn about technologies that major players in supply chains are actively researching and developing: data and complexity science, artificial intelligence/robotics, the Internet of Things, and blockchain technologies. We will draft traditional supply-chain contracts and do business process modeling design of “smart contracts,” or computer-based connected systems that automate commercial transactions. We will pay homage to the legendary culinary history of Vienna and the historical trade routes that supplied Vienna with the ingredients for the Viennoise delicacies that are now world-famous. This course will demonstrate how the current migration of people from outside of Europe is making its mark on the culinary scene. The course will have a focused extension of EU law from the companion two (2) credit hour course (described below).
Groups in this course will have the choice of excursions related to their particular chosen supply-chain of interest, such as coffee houses, chocolate factories, patisseries, breweries, markets, and farms. It is anticipated that the class will visit the Technical Museum of Vienna to get that perspective of the future of work and “democratic design.” An immersive sociology lesson through a cooking demonstration, with active participation of the class, is planned. Depending on the conferences scheduled at that time, we may be visiting the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna for lectures.
This course will be a broad survey of the EU treaty system, the lawmaking process in the EU, and the interactions of EU law and member state law. The course will be in part by asynchronous online lecture before being in Austria to free up time in Europe. The course is timely because of the ongoing Brexit happenings. A take-home exam will be issued at the end of the month to test the students’ understanding of the basic issues presented in the course. The exam will be due in late August or early September. Students may opt to take this course pass/fail.
Non Wake Forest law students should confirm with their own schools that the credits for this program will be fully transferable.
