Mikael Rask Madsen

Mikael Rask Madsen is Professor of Law at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Law since 2010 and founding Director of iCourts, The Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre of Excellence for International Courts established in 2012. His interdisciplinary work bridges legal scholarship with political sociology to analyze global judicial institutions and human rights systems.

Education

• 2005: Docteur en sociologie politique, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), highest honors
• 1999: Diplôme d‘Études Approfondies (D.E.A.) en sociologie, EHESS, Paris, highest honors
• 1998: Cand.jur. (Master of Laws), Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, highest honors
• 1997: Master of Sociology of Law, International Institute for the Sociology of Law (IISL), highest honors

Research Focus

His scholarship critically examines international courts through historical sociology of law and political sociology frameworks. Key contributions analyze human rights evolution, international organizations' sociological dynamics, and legal transplants in global governance. His work uniquely combines archival research with institutional analysis to trace how international courts shape and are shaped by political contexts.

Awards and Recognition

• Carlsberg Research Prize (2019) for scientific excellence
• Elite Research Prize by Danish Ministry (2017)
• Danish Royal Academy of Sciences membership (2013)
• Prestigious memorial lectures at Cambridge (2020) and Oslo (2017)

Research Leadership

As Principal Investigator, he secured two major Danish National Research Foundation grants for iCourts (2012, 2018) totaling over 15 years of continuous funding. He serves as General Editor for Oxford University Press's 'International Courts and Tribunals Series' and has held visiting professorships at NYU, Sorbonne, Hebrew University, and Oslo. His editorial roles include Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights and The ECHR Law Review.

Research Center

iCourts operates as an interdisciplinary hub under his directorship, integrating legal scholars, sociologists, and political scientists to investigate international courts' societal impacts through empirical and historical methodologies.