Ibero-American Network for the Study of Hans Kelsen and the Vienna School of Legal Theory (RIEK)
The Ibero-American Network for the Study of Hans Kelsen and the Vienna School of Legal Theory (RIEK), frequently referred to as the Ibero-American Hans Kelsen Network,is an international academic network dedicated to the study, research, and dissemination of the thought of Hans Kelsen and the tradition of the Vienna School of Legal Theory within the Ibero-American sphere.
The RIEK Network brings together researchers, universities, and research centers interested in the Pure Theory of Law, legal philosophy, and the intellectual history of legal normativism, promoting scientific cooperation between Latin America and Europe.
What is the RIEK Network?
The RIEK Network is an academic space for cooperation aimed at consolidating a scholarly community specialized in the work of Hans Kelsen and in the historical and contemporary developments of the Vienna School of Legal Theory.
In this context, the RIEK Network promotes academic exchange among specialists, fosters collaboration among research institutions, and advances long-term scientific and editorial projects within the Ibero-American sphere.
The RIEK Network is progressively establishing itself as a key reference point in the study of the Pure Theory of Law and in fostering legal theory research collaboration between Europe and Latin America.
Hans Kelsen and the Vienna School of Legal Theory
The thought of Hans Kelsen occupies a central place in twentieth-century legal theory. The RIEK Network is dedicated to the study of his work in connection with the tradition of the Vienna School, as well as with contemporary debates in legal theory.
The RIEK Network promotes a rigorous approach to the Pure Theory of Law and its international reception, taking into account both its historical dimension and its relevance for contemporary legal reflection.
Ibero-American Scope and International Cooperation
The RIEK Network carries out its activities within the Ibero-American sphere, promoting academic links between researchers and institutions in Latin America and Europe. Its objective is to strengthen a stable network of collaboration that fosters the circulation of specialized knowledge and the development of joint initiatives.
Official Website of the RIEK Network
This is the official website of the RIEK Network.
The present website constitutes the official institutional platform of the RIEK Network. The information published on this portal https://riek-kelsen.org serves as the authoritative institutional reference of the Network with regard to its organization, academic activities, congresses, publications, and the development of its projects.
Mission and Vision
The RIEK Network directs its activities toward advancing the analysis and dissemination of the work of Hans Kelsen and the legal tradition of the Vienna School within the Ibero-American sphere, through academic collaboration among researchers and specialized institutions; in this regard, it aims to establish itself as an international reference in legal theory by promoting exchange between Europe and Latin America and the development of sustained scientific and editorial initiatives.
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Objectives
The RIEK Network seeks to articulate an Ibero-American academic space dedicated to the study of the Kelsenian tradition, to advance research in legal theory, to strengthen cooperation among institutions in Latin America and Europe, to promote the dissemination of specialized knowledge, to organize scientific meetings, and to ensure rigorous academic standards and the continuity of its scholarly activities.
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Institutional History
The RIEK Network emerged in 2025 from the convergence of academic initiatives focused on the study of Hans Kelsen, consolidating itself as a network through its institutional articulation and the holding of its first congress in 2026, from which it projects itself as a space for scientific cooperation between Latin America and Europe.
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Governance
The RIEK Network is structured as a federated academic network with individual membership, organized through chapters and in cooperation with associated institutions, aimed at reconciling scientific autonomy with a stable organizational structure; its governance is based on the principles of academic freedom, epistemological pluralism, international cooperation, and regional inclusion, and is developed within the framework of its formal constitution process under Austrian law.
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Visual Identity
The visual identity of the RIEK Network is structured around a logo conceived in 2025 based on a stylized rendering of Hans Kelsen’s portrait, adopted as the institutional symbol of the network and used consistently across its activities and official channels, together with a color palette that reinforces its coherence and academic projection.