It's in the nature of law to work in the long term. But when the very object of that law is inherently shifting and constantly evolving, it's sometimes hard to keep up.

"Technology is evolving very rapidly, and that's why all the courses taught during this Specialized Master's Degree in Digital Law are linked to the research we carry out here at CRIDS (see box), clarifies Élise Degrave, Professor of Law and Director of the Master's Degree. All the professors give courses linked to their research themes, and these evolve according to the results we obtain and share with the students."

Lasting one year, and accessible to holders of a first Master's degree by application, this specialist Master's program covers a wide range of subjects: commerce, communications, privacy, intellectual property, international governance, information, artificial intelligence...

"The Master's program is dense, with a very up-to-date range of courses, which really gives us a 360° vision of our future professions, believes Emma Belot, a recent graduate who has already been hired by a law firm. It shows as soon as we enter the world of work, and particularly in the technical field. You can't call yourself a specialist in new technology law without understanding the technology you're talking about. And the latter accounts for a large part of our training, in conjunction with the Faculty of Computer Science."

In addition to theoretical courses, students can also count on a pedagogy whose innovative character was emphasized by Rectrice Annick Castiaux. "In addition to the work-immersion internship, students take part in the Namur Legal Lab, which provides legal advice to start-ups, as well as a seminar that trains them in teamwork, she declared.

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Photo d'Annick Castiaux

It is important for this Master's degree to be constantly evolving in order to remain at the cutting edge with respect to digital-related societal issues.

Annick Castiaux Rector of the University of Namur

These are issues of which those in charge of the Master's program are fully aware, as they are committed to training jurists who are very attentive to the safeguards necessary for the functioning of a liberal and democratic society.

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Elise DEGRAVE

In our view, a lawyer is a professional who anticipates problems in order to avoid them later. Our students are trained with this in mind. By being able to talk upstream with a technician whose problems they understand, they can thus show that taking legal safeguards into account from the outset avoids wasting a lot of time and money, rather than deconstructing the tools later because they don't comply with legislation.

Élise Degrave Professor of Law and Director of the Specialized Master's Degree in Digital Law

Minister Vanessa Matz, meanwhile, stressed the importance for Belgium and Europe of training experts capable of responding to these pressing issues. "Controlling the exploitation of personal data, protecting copyright in the face of the use of generative artificial intelligence, or regulating platforms and GAFAMs are not theoretical questions, she considers. They require a delicate balance between progress and ethics, and it will be up to the new Master's graduates to respond by writing the future rules of the game."

La Ministre fédérale du Numérique et de la Politique Scientifique Vanessa Matz
Cérémonie de diplomation du master de spécialisation en Droit du Numérique
Cérémonie de diplomation du master de spécialisation en Droit du Numérique
Cérémonie de diplomation du master de spécialisation en Droit du Numérique

The Center for Research on Information, Law and Society (CRIDS)

The Master of Specialization in Digital Law is part of CRIDS, the Centre de Recherche Information, Droit et Société. Founded in 1979, and directed today by Prof. Hervé Jacquemin and co-directed by researcher Jean-Marc Van Gyseghem, it is an interdisciplinary research center that conducts cutting-edge research in fields such as digital communications, privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity or even the governance of algorithms, e-commerce or e-government.

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