Offered by the International Centre for Co-operative Management and the International Cooperative Alliance in collaboration with the International Cooperative Alliance Cooperative Law Committee and IUS Cooperativum.
This course builds links between co-operative law, Co-operative Identity (ICA, 1995), and sustainable development. How are values and principles translated into legal rules and legal practice? What types of rules are fitting, and what may cause ‘degeneration’ of co-operative enterprise? How do legal structural elements of co-operatives relate to aspects of sustainable development? This course is relevant to an international audience and can apply to all types of co-operatives and mutuals in all sectors of the economy. See the Brief Agenda for more course details (example from our last offering).
Hagen Henrÿ, a renowned co-operative legal expert, is the primary instructor. Hagen held tenure as a professor at the University of Helsinki (2011- 2020); he was chief of the co-operative branch of the ILO, and he served as a legal advisor to the German federal minister of economy, among others. He has extensively consulted on co-operative policy and legislation in around 65 countries and remains a pivotal figure in numerous international organizations, including the ILO and the World Bank. He continues his engagement in the field as a visiting scholar and chairs the International Cooperative Alliance Cooperative Law Committee.
The course includes guest speakers in economics and law, policy and co-operative development in multiple regions.
Individuals with a strong interest in co-operative law include lawyers, law students in advanced stages of study, co-operative practitioners, policymakers, regulators, and those working in the co-op sector in advocacy and/or government relations.
Watch this short video showcasing our 2025 edition of the masterclass.
Course fees will be announced when registration opens in November 2025 (for 2026 event).
August 23-28, 2026. Programming opens with an evening reception on Sunday, August 23, and closes in the afternoon on Friday, August 28 (plan to depart Pula on August 29). We encourage participants to join us for the August 22 workshop.
A free and open event preceding the Co-operative Law Summer School, the workshop aims to contribute to shaping the Legal Framework Analysis. This activity is undertaken by the International Cooperative Alliance and its regional offices under the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (ICA EU FFPA). Participants will discuss how the UN International Year of Cooperatives can contribute to bettering the legal-policy environment for the development of co-operatives. Click here for the agenda for the hybrid workshop event example from 2025 (will be updated for 2026): Agenda International Workshop on Cooperative Law 2025
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula in Croatia, Zagrebacka 30, Pula, Croatia. The classroom venue is located at the Economics Faculty downtown (FET, Preradovićeva 1/1, Pula). Pula is accessible by air, bus, or ferry from many European destinations. At this stage, anyone who would need a visa for travel should plan to join the workshop event online instead of in-person and you can be added to notifications of future events.
Registration and travel details will be added in November 2025.
Financial partnership:
Knowledge partnership: We invite associations of lawyers and policy professionals to gain visibility for their organizations by offering guest lectures at the summer school. Resource persons must cover their participation costs, including travel and accommodation.
Co-operatives, law firms, associations, and organizations interested in partnering with the 2025 Co-operative Law Summer School in the above categories may please contact P. Santosh Kumar, Director (Legislation) at the International Cooperative Alliance, at kumar@ica.coop.
All selected partners will be offered visibility for their brands and logos in promotional material from the organizers’ media, which includes the International Cooperative Alliance's wide global network and its bodies in over ten countries.
Additionally, spotlight interviews will be offered in the media of the organizers and collaborators, such as IUS Cooperativum.
Unless otherwise stated in writing, the organizers retain the right to refuse partnership offers and amend the terms of the partnership without notice.
Please write Jillian.Stagg@smu.ca with your questions.
On October 24, 2024, we offered a special webinar, "Law & Co-operatives—Friend or foe?" that explored the legal landscape for, about, and against co-ops. View the recording and enjoy vignettes from Summer School '23 participants about how they have put their learnings to practice. Hear from co-op legal experts on the intersections of law and co-operatives, enabling legal environments for co-op development, achievements, and challenges. This event was organized collectively with the International Cooperative Alliance and IUS Cooperativum.