USFSP UT International Research Cooperation: Comparing and Contrasting Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of the United States

Our USFSP and UT students were working together in groups on comparative legal research projects, comparing and contrasting decisions of the ECtHR and SCOTUS on similar legal questions.

The 8 posters/groups topics were as follows:

Group 1:  Reproductive Rights in the US and in Ireland (Roe v. Wade (1073) and ABC v Ireland (2010)

Group 2: Freedom of Expression in Wartime

Group 3: Freedom of Association

Group 4: What is Torture? (Rasul v. Rumsfeld and Ireland v. UK)

Group 5: The Death Penalty:  Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Group 6: Rights of the Disabled in State Care

Group 7:  The Right to Marry in the US and in the COE

Group 8: Right to a Fair Trial

Professor Jusuf Zejneli discusses our International Research Cooperation USFSP - UT on Makedonska Radio Televizija

Our research partner, Professor Jusuf Zejneli sat down with Semra Ajeti of  Macedonian Radio Television  to discuss the move to online learning.  

In the interview he discusses our joint research project, engaging students at the University of South Florida and the University of Tetovo. 

You can watch the interview here: 


http://al.play.mrt.com.mk/play/39896?fbclid=IwAR2Qd1fFjunNslMgl2USKE4GlT37g57wtxg2zOo1xEcxgi2jCTbWu5xaZus

April 22 at 4:56 AM · Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

-Aspekti juridik kushtetues i gjendjes së jashtzakonshme, funksionimi i institucioneve, mësimi online, sfidat, përparësitë, jeta në vetizolim, krijimtaria shkencore!

Live:
- the constitutional legal aspect of the state of emergency, the operation of institutions, online learning, challenges, priorities, life in vetizolim, scientific creativity!

Our 2nd Joint USFSP UT Videoconference -- via BBCU

By the time of our mid-point check-in, we were all distance learning from the safety of our homes.  Instead of trying to join by skype in our classroom, this time we were using the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra platform in our LMS Canvass.

BBCU allows us to invite guests to participate -- so the faculty and students at UT can join us even though they are not enrolled in our course.

Actually - this worked out MUCH better than our videoconference in our face-to-face classroom (where each student needed to approach my laptop in order to use the microphone).  And we did not have the technology/connectivity issues as we had in the classroom -- getting the video and sound to work.  This is another area where I may re-think the platform and technology that I use for these kind of "global classroom" projects. 

The BBCU worked perfectly -- each participant with her own video and microphone.

 

 

Virtual Office Hours to Discuss USFSP - UT Group Posters

Our Chancellor had asked for us to be thinking about "lessons learned" during this pandemic -- and things that we are doing now that we might want to bring with us once this crisis has passed.

I have to say that these "virtual office hours" using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, through our LMS Canvass, is one thing I plan to keep using -- especially for group projects.

BBCU let all 4 students in the group join in together -- even though not all of the students were on the same continent.

By adding the students as "presenters," they were able to upload their poster PPT into our group session for us to discuss.

Very much looking forward to our international videoconference tomorrow!  We will be using the BBCU platform for our symposium as well.  (Up to 250 participants can join in a BBCU session.)

 

 

Our First Joint USFSP - UT Videoconference!

Each of the students filled out a Group Presentation Research Topic Preference Form, indicating preferred research topic and preferred group preference.  After going through all of the preferences, I assigned the students into 8 groups -- each with 3 USFSP students.

Professor Jusuf Zejneli then worked with his class to assign one of the UT students in each of the 8 groups.

As it turned out, this was our last meeting on campus before our Spring Break.  (And, it became our last meeting on campus for the semester - as we moved wholly online during Spring Break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Here we are meeting each other "face-to-face" for the first time:

  

USFSP Legal Research Exercise and Bibliographic Research Session at Poynter Library

Each semester in US Constitutional Law 2, my students attend a Bibliographic Research Session at Poynter Library and complete a Legal Research Exercise.

In this way, students learn how to conduct legal research - and they become familiar with Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, JSTOR and other databases. They learn how to find cases, statutes, law reviews and other materials.

We are grateful to the Poynter Library and its reference librarians who are always so generous.  Thanks, Allison Symulevich!

Also -- there are excellent resources on how to create a research poster on the Poynter website. See

https://lib.usfsp.edu/posterpresentations

USFSP - University of Tetovo International Research Cooperation: Our Partner: Professor Jusuf Zejneli

When I was a Fulbright Scholar in North Macedonia, I taught with the Law Faculty and with the Political Science Faculty at the University of Tetovo (as well as with the Law Faculty of South East European University).

For more about my work at the University of Tetovo, see

http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.com/2017/05/tetovo-some-highlights-of-my-time-at.html


My host in the Law Faculty was Professor Jusuf Zejneli.  We were so pleased that our students could collaborate on a research project this semester!

Here is more about our collaborator:

Professor Jusuf Zejneli

      

Education:  

·        PhD on Legal Sciences: Degree from the Faculty of Law - University of Prishtina, Department of Constitutional Administration, on 05.01.2013. Dissertation topic: ‘’Parliamentarism in the Republic of Macedonia’’;  

·        MA on Legal Studies: Degree from the Law School -University of Prishtina, Department of Constitutional Administration, on 15.04.2006. Thesis topic: ‘’Building a Rule State - Special Case at IRJM’’; 

·        BA - Faculty of Law in Tetova in 2001 - graduated jurist;  

·        Medical high school ‘’Nikolla Shtejn’’ in Tetovo.  

Work experience:

·        On May 3^rd 2018, I was given the academic title Associate Professor on the subjects: Administrative law, Parliamentarian theory and praxis, Constitutional comparative law, at the Law Faculty of the University of Tetova, Decision nr. 04-2508/1 from June 13^th 2018;

·        On 07.11.2013 I got my degree as an Assistant Professor for the following subjects: Administrative Law, Parliamentary Theory and Practice at the Faculty of Law at State University of Tetovo (SUT), decision number 04-6904/1 on 29.11.2013; 

·        Lecturer at European College ‘Juridica’ in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo, from November 2015; 

·        On 22.03.2010,elected as an assistant at the State University of Tetovo, decision number 02-1755/1 -date 19.04.2010; 

·        Junior Assistant as a full-time employee at the Faculty of Law at the State University of Tetovo from date 17.07.2004, decision number 23-2805/169 and date 24.08.2004; 

·        BA study programs at the Faculty of Law at the State University of Tetovo and dispersion studies in Skopje lecturing the following subjects: parliamentary theory and practice, comparative constitutional law, basics of the legal system, constitutional law, administrative law, local government, parliamentary democracy, political systems, legal sociology, law of administrative procedures, American system of governing. Also, a lecturer of MA studies onthe following subjects: law of administrative procedures, responsibilities at public administration and comparative public administration;  

·        Member of Educational Council at the Faculty of Law at State University of Tetovo, from December, 2013;  

·        Practitioner at the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia (RM) from 1999 to 2000 – at International Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Parliament of the RM;  

·        President of the Student Union at the State University of Tetovo – 1998-2001; 

·        Pro-Dean of Educational Studies at the Faculty of Law at the SUT – September 2007 – July 2009; 

·        Science Coordinator – Mentor of more than 10 MA students at the Faculty of Law  at SUT; 

·        Several times Member of the Commission for Student Transfer and Member of Administrative Document Verification with which graduation is certified at the Faculty of Lawat SUT;  

·        Member of the Editorial Board of the international journal of legal studies ‘JUSTICIA’ at the Faculty of Law at SUT from 03.09.2012;  

·        From 31 October 2011 again nominated as a Pro-Dean of Educational Studies at the Faculty of Law at the SUT - until 10.03.2015; 

·        From June 2012 I was nominated as a Member of the Institute for Parliamentary and Constitutional Studies in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo;  

·        Member of the evaluation commission at the Faculty of Lawat SUT from 06.03.2014 to 12.11.2015; 

·        Coordinator for Science of the Faculty of Law at SUT with decision number 02-2298 from 03.04.2014 to 10.03.2015; 

·        Pro-Dean at the Faculty of Law at State University of Tetova, decision number 13-320/1 with date 11.03.2015; 

·        Proofreading of the book named ‘Sociology of Law’ written by Prof. Ferat Polisi and As. Dr. Ali Musliu, published by Vatra, in Skopje in 2015; 

·        Lecturer at the European College ‘Juridica’ in Pristina for BA and MA studies, lecturing Efficiency of Public Administration, General Analysis of Public Politics, Anatomy-Control in Administration, Legal Economics and Administrative Procedures, 2015 – 2016; 

·        Lecturer at ISPE College in Pristina for BA studies, lecturing Administrative Law and Law for Employment, 2016–2017; 

·        Scientific editor of the book ‘Security Systems’ written by Bashkim Selmani and Mevludin Mustafi, published by Furkan, in Skopje in 2016;

·        Editorial staff of the journal ‘Juridica’ – a magazine for legal and social studies, from edition 5, published in 2016, published by the European College Juridica in Pristina; 

·        Lecturer - Trainer at the Center for State Promotions in Skopje, for preparing the candidates for the examination of the directors for primary and high schools in the module of legislation in 2016; 

·        Reviewer of academic book of the author Prof.Dr. Kadri  Kryeziu named ‘ABC of Public Law’, published by the University of Prizren - Ukshin Hoti in 2016 in Prizren; 

·        From 31.03.2017, engaged as a controller of the questions/activities for external testing of the primary and high school pupils (gymnasium, fine arts, professional lasting 3 and 4 years) from the law category during educational year 2016/2017 for the Public Center of Examinations in Skopje; 

·        Member of the group for preparing law for the change and completion of the Law for Protecting the Denunciators, with the decision of the Ministry of Justice at the Government of RM, decision number 23-2413/1, date 01.08.2017; 

·        Editor of the book ‘Regulations and Election Irregularities in RM’, Institution for International and Political Studies, written by Subhi Jakupi in 2017;

·        Reviewer of the book: “The territory of the silent war, trends and new geopolitical dynamics in Southeastern Europe” from the author Selim Ibraimi, Skopje 2018;

·        Reviewer of the book “Human rights” from the author Ali Musliu, Skopje 2018;

·        Reviewer of the book “Administrative conflict - instrument for the checking of administrative acts lawfulness”, from the author Xhemazie Mislimi - Ibraimi, Tetovo 2018;

·        Lecturer - trainer in the State exams center in Skopje, for the training of candidates for elementary and high school director, module 6 - Legislation, from November 2018 onwards. The training includes the period from 2018 through 2020;

·        June 2019, I was appointed member of the Evaluation board of Higher Education in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Scientific publications:  

·        ‘Building a Rule State, case in RM’

·         ‘Reforms at Public Administration in RM as one of the political criteria for being enrolled in the EU’

·        ‘Reports between legal power, executive and courts in RM

·         ‘Challenges and Dilemmas of The Election and Political System of RM’

·        ‘Specifications of the American System of Governing’

·        ‘Model of protecting the constitution – comparative aspects’

·         ‘The legal-constitutional position of the ethnicities in RM’

·        ‘Parliament of RM, Organization and Operation’

·         ‘Democracy and Local Self-Administrationʼ

·         ‘Parliamentarism in RM’

·        ‘The shape of the government applications’

·        ‘Constitutional Regulations in RM’

·        ‘Organization and Responsibilities of the Government of RM’

·         ‘The Legal System in RM – Challenges and Dilemma’

·         ‘Control and Responsibility of Administration According to the Positive Legislation of the RM’

·        ‘Administrative Law’

·        ʼConstitutional and Legal Position of the Minorities – Comparative aspect’

·        ‘Attributes of the Rule State and Democracy’

·        ʼThe Role of the Working Bodies in the Parliamentary Democracy’

·        ʼPolitical System in RM and EU – NATO membership Challenges’

·        ʼFeatures of the American system of Governing External Politics’‘Principe of State Power Sharing in the Constitutional Systems’

·        ‘Administration as a State or Service’

·        ‘The Implementation of the european standards and their impact on the local elections 2017 in the Republic of Macedonia’