Professor Sharon Cowan presents a series of talks during Visiting Professor position

Professor Sharon Cowan, Professor of Feminist and Queer Legal Studies, returns after holding a visiting professor position at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile.

During her time there she had the opportunity to give talks to students, legal practioners and faculty members on criminal law and the rules governing sexual history evidence in rape trials, based on her Scottish Government funded project reported in 2024; and on the Scottish Feminist Judgements Project. The Feminist Judgement project was part of a global series that aimed to imagine how important legal cases might have been decided differently if the judge had adopted a feminist perspective.

Professor Cowan also gave talks at the Universidad de Chile, the University Austral de Chile in Valdviva, and the University Catolica de Valparaiso. 

Professor Cowan said, “It was an incredible opportunity and privilege to work with students, practitioners and academics in Chile. I was able learn so much about how both the law in the books and the law in action are developing there, and very much appreciated the warm welcome, and generous hospitality of my hosts.”