WELCOME TO THE COURSE
Congratulations! It is with great pleasure to inform that you have been admitted to the course Balance of Power and Constitutional Enforcement at Umeå University. On this page you will find important information that will be useful, so please read it carefully. If you have any questions, you can use the contact form below. We wish you a warm welcome and hope that you will enjoy your period of studies here in Umeå.
In order to start your studies at the course, you need to register for the course on the Student Website between the 10th of Janaury and the 18th of January. Otherwise you risk losing your place (seat) at the course. You also need to be registered to be able to follow the course and to get your results recorded during the course.
Information how to use the student web.
The course introduction is Monday January 17th, 2022, at 13.15 (quarter past 1 in the afternoon) in room s305 in the House of Social Science. The course introduction is immediately followed by the first lecture on the course.
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The course consists of lectures as well as seminars. The seminars are mandatory. The course concludes with a written, take-home exam.
Teaching, readings, discussions at seminars and the examination will all take place in English.
The course is the third course on the Master's Programme in Constitutional Law and Human Rights, but may also be taken as an individual elective course.
Course content
The course Balance of Power and Constitutional Enforcement is an advanced level course. As follows from the name the course focuses on two of the most central constitutional issues: balance of power and enforcement of constitutional rights, rules and principles. The approach of the course is comparative, and not limited to a single constitutional system. Rather, the course will study the issues, outlined below, by discussing examples from different jurisdictions, with some emphasis on European systems such as the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Balance of Power includes both vertical (actors on different constitutional levels) and horizontal perspectives (actors on the same constitutional level). The vertical perspective can be applied both within and beyond a nation state. An example of the former is the relationship (i.e. distribution of power and responsibility) between central and regional powers in a unitary state and between the federal and state level in a federation. An example of the latter is the relationship between a nation state and an international organization, such as the EU or the Council of Europe. Similarly, the horizontal perspective can be applied both within and beyond a nation state. Within the state it includes issues such as the division of power and responsibility between the government and the legislator, and beyond the state it includes division of power between bodies in an international organization, for example the powers awarded to the different EU institutions.
Constitutional Enforcement concerns the issue of moving from paper to reality, i.e. the legal protection of constitutional rights (including fundamental human rights) by courts and other authorities. In other words, what happens, and what legal action can be taken by what actor, if my constitutional rights are violated? The position and power of the courts as a guardian of constitutional rights is a central aspect of constitutional enforcement, including issues such as judicial independence, judicial review and constitutional interpretation.
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Checklist for admitted students
Follow this simple list of things to complete your enrolment at Umeå University. It includes: how to secure housing, getting a residence permit (for citizens from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland), tuition payment (if applicable), travel directions and more.
To the checklist for admitted Students
CloseThe Student web
The website for current students has all sorts of information about services, support, legal and practical matters at Umeå University. You can sign in to the learning platforms, see your schedule and course overview, get a study certificate, apply for a degree or sign up for an examination.
CloseRecommended arrival times
International students are recommended to arrive at least a few days before the start of the regular semester, preferably prior to the Orientation. If you fail to arrive on time, you have to contact the study counselor as soon as possible, but no later than one week ahead of the course start, or you may not be able to register for the programme or course.
If you will have student housing through the Housing Office at Umeå University you will receive information about your arrival in your offer of housing.
Don't forget - Umeå has cold winters, so pack accordingly with a warm jacket, warm shoes, gloves and hat.
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Moving to a new country with an unfamiliar language, culture and customs can be a challenge. We would like to help you and ease that challenge so that you can focus on your studies. Therefore, we would like to offer you the possibility to take part in our Orientation, which begins a few days before the start of the semester (Autumn) or the same day as the semester starts (Spring).
More about the Orientation this semester.
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Are you a new student at Umeå University? Visit the Welcome Fair – a perfect opportunity to learn what our university and Umeå can offer. The fair normally takes place in the beginning of each semester.
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As a new student, you need to activate your user account approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester in order to, for instance:
If you are a new student, you will automatically receive a user account when you are admitted, but you will need to activate it for it to function properly. You will not be able to activate it until approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
I want to learn more about my user account (Umu-id)
For exchange students and tuition fee paying students
If you are an exchange student or tuition fee paying student, you will receive an email with instructions on how to activate your account.
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If you are having problems activating your account or logging in, please contact our Servicedesk. You will find answers to common questions, and can submit enquiries.
Get your UmU card
When you are on Campus Umeå, Umeå Arts Campus or Campus Örnsköldsvik, you will need a UmU card. The card has the following functions:
To get the card, you need to apply for it. Here’s how to apply for the UmU card.
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There are three student unions at Umeå University:
They are actively involved so that fellow students have a high quality of education, good working environment, and fun leisure time.
Become a member of a student union!
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Students at Umeå University have free access to the programmes of Microsoft Office 365. This means that you have access to Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Whiteboard Forms, your student email and other services which can facilitate your studies and your collaboration with other students. To access Office 365 you need to activate your UmU-id.
Learn more about Office 365 and how to install it on your computer
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