On February 12, 2026, the Graduate School of Law at Nagoya University had the privilege of hosting Associate Professor Dr. Hab. Maciej M. Sokołowski, Specially Appointed Associate Professor at the Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University. He delivered a special lecture titled “Bricks, Bytes, and Bylaws: Re-Writing Law for Algorithmic Cities.”The lecture explored the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructures on contemporary urban governance. Professor Sokołowski opened his presentation by explaining how rapid urban digitalization is reshaping cities into what he described as “algorithmic cities.” These are complex ecosystems in which AI systems, automated decision-making, and data-driven technologies increasingly regulate public services, mobility, housing, energy distribution, and civic administration. He emphasized that this evolution goes beyond the traditional “smart city” paradigm and signals a deeper structural transformation of urban life.A central theme of the lecture concerned the adequacy of existing legal frameworks. Professor Sokołowski critically examined whether traditional municipal bylaws are capable of regulating algorithm-driven infrastructures. He explained that these bylaws were historically grounded in physical urban planning and analog governance processes. He discussed the need for proactive and adaptive regulatory approaches. He proposed multi-layered governance models that integrate supranational standards, national legislation, and flexible municipal regulations.The lecture further addressed hybrid regulatory solutions designed to balance technological innovation with fundamental democratic values. Professor Sokołowski highlighted the importance of transparency, accountability, non-discrimination, and public participation in the governance of algorithmic urban systems. He underscored that safeguarding these principles is essential as cities become increasingly dependent on automated technologies.The session concluded with an engaging question-and-answer segment. Participants discussed the future role of lawmakers, urban planners, engineers, and citizens in shaping legal frameworks for human-algorithm coexistence in rapidly evolving urban environments.This special lecture is a part of the “Lawyer Training Program for Globalization,” funded by a donation from the Shinnippon-Hoki Foundation.

Akhadjon Khakimov, Nagoya University GSL alumni, has been appointed Director of the Research Center under the Faculty of International Law and Comparative Legislation at Tashkent State University of Law. Dr. Khakimov pursued his studies in Japan from 2015 to 2017 and from 2022 to 2025, completing his master and doctoral program in comparative law at Nagoya University. His field of specialization is private international law, and he completed both his master’s and doctoral dissertations under the supervision of Professor Dai Yokomizo.  The appointment of an NU@GSL alumnus as Director of the Research Center coincides with an important period of reform in legal education and legal scholarship in Uzbekistan. Under a recent Presidential decree(2025), newly established research centers within each faculty are mandated to analyze challenges and gaps in law-application practice through scientific approaches, to develop proposals and methodological guidelines for integrating research outcomes into education and practice, and to conduct expert reviews of draft legislation within fundamental, applied, and innovative research projects, thereby delivering research-based solutions to pressing legal issues.  Under the leadership of Dr. Khakimov, the Research Center is organized into three specialized departments engaged in advanced research in international and global legal studies, international economic and WTO law, and private international law and arbitration. Nagoya University Graduate School of Law extends its sincere congratulations to Dr. Khakimov on this important appointment and wishes him every success in leading the Research Center during this pivotal period of legal reform in Uzbekistan. We are confident that his academic expertise, international experience, and strong ties with NU@GSL will contribute significantly to the advancement of legal research, education, and practice, and further strengthen academic cooperation between Nagoya University and Tashkent State University of Law. In the photograph: Dr. Akhadjon Khakimov, Director of the Research Center, third from the left.