From 4 to 5 March 2021, the Stichting (Foundation) Bob Wessels Insolvency Law Collection (BWILC) organised the third edition of the PhD Workshop on European and International Insolvency Law. The participants had the chance to be part of an inspiring and interactive two-day virtual workshop.
PhD candidates were selected from applications from around the globe to present their ongoing research. The eight successful PhD candidates included Preeti Nalavadi (Adelaide University), Maryam Malakotipour (Amsterdam University), Sander Baeyens (KU Leuven University), Andrey Esmanskiy (Saint-Petersburg University), Vilija Mogenytė (Mykolas Romeris University), Emily Defreyne (Ghent University), Niccolò Usai (Florence University) and Richard Bradstreet (Cape Town University). The presentations covered a broad spectrum of topics, including insolvency and bitcoins, subordination of (affiliated) claims, executory contracts, public policy and the role of the insolvency law practitioner, employee protection in insolvency, as well as discussions about insolvency law from an economics perspective.
The BWILC board, composed of Professors Matthias Haentjens, Reinout Vriesendorp, Stephan Madaus, Joeri Vananroyeand Dr. Paul Omar, along with Professor Bob Wessels (patron) and alumni from previous workshops were present. Each presentation was followed by an extensive Q&A session, raising questions and providing insightful feedback to further the research.
At the end of the PhD Workshop, three prizes were awarded by the BWILC board to Niccolò Usai (1st place), Maryam Malakotipour (2nd place) and Sander Baeyens (3rd place) as a recognition of the most original presentations. Emily Defreyne received an honourable mention for her presentation. In 2022, the board hopes to organise a fourth edition of this BWILC PhD Workshop live in Leiden.
