The Institute of Comparative Law

What The Institute of Comparative Law does

The Institute of Comparative Law (Institut za uporedno pravo) is a public, non-profit scientific research institution founded on July 16, 1955 by decree of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia (signed by Josip Broz Tito) and headquartered at Terazije 41, Belgrade, Serbia. It began operations on January 1, 1956 as one of the first comparative law research institutions established globally. The Institute's core activity is comparative legal scholarship and applied legal expertise: it produces expert opinions on domestic and foreign law, drafts legislation and public policies, conducts comparative legal research across jurisdictions, strengthens the legal capacity of professionals, and publishes peer-reviewed scholarship.

The Institute's product portfolio is scholarly rather than commercial. It publishes the scientific journal Strani pravni život (Foreign Legal Life), now in its 70th year, and the Regional Law Review (RLR) annual conference and journal. It hosts the EUVALWEB web platform for European values and legal research and maintains an open-access repository at ricl.iup.rs. It also operates three project centers — Center for Sports Law, Center for Gender Law, and Center for Rights of Persons with Disabilities — and has signed cooperation agreements in 2026 with bodies including the Constitutional Court of Serbia, the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia, the Judicial Academy, Belgrade Science and Technology Park, and numerous law faculties across the region.

The Institute operates under state oversight, with leadership appointments requiring the consent of the Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. It is governed by a Managing Board (chaired by Prof. Dr Slobodanka Perić) and currently led by Acting Director Dr Miloš Stanić, appointed in March 2026. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; funding primarily comes from government sources, supplemented by catalog sales of monographs and conference proceedings. The Institute has 14 employees, a single Belgrade headquarters, and a partner ecosystem of more than 30 institutions including ESIL, UNIDROIT, and law faculties across Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland.

Name

The Institute of Comparative Law

Legal name

Institut za uporedno pravo

Website

https://iup.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute of Comparative Law (Institut za uporedno pravo) is a Belgrade-based, state-funded non-profit scientific research institution founded in 1955, providing comparative legal research, expert opinions, legislation drafting, and scholarly publications to Serbian and regional government, judicial, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Research Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAJ

Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYBPAHALAG

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYEDAGAGAB

Legal Reference (Statutes, Case Law, Practice Guides)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional & Technical Reference Publishing

SECONDARYMPAJACAA

Legal & Regulatory Publishing (Case Law, Statutes, Treatises)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Professional & Legal Publishing (Standards, Compliance, Reference)

Keywords

• Comparative law research
• Legal academic publishing
• Legislative drafting services
• Expert legal opinions
• Legal capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Institute of Comparative Law is a publicly funded scientific research institute that conducts comparative legal research, issues expert opinions on domestic and foreign law, drafts legislation and public policies, and builds legal capacity for institutions and professionals. It also publishes peer-reviewed scientific journals (notably Strani pravni život and the Regional Law Review proceedings) and operates research platforms such as EUVALWEB.

Product overview

The Institute of Comparative Law is a legal research institution offering a portfolio of scholarly products and services including scientific journals (Strani pravni život, Regional Law Review), web platforms (EUVALWEB), and professional expertise services in comparative law research, regulation drafting, and legal opinions. The institution does not offer commercial technology products but provides academic publishing and research services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strani pravni život (Foreign Legal Life) A peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing comparative law research, established by the Institute in 1956 and continuously published for 70 years; accepts papers via an online submission platform and serves academics, legal scholars, and institutional subscribers.
• Regional Law Review (RLR) An annual international scientific conference and associated journal publication organized by the Institute and held at its premises in Belgrade, bringing together comparative law scholars from the region and Europe.
• EUVALWEB A web platform for European values and legal research hosted by the Institute, supporting cross-jurisdictional comparative law research and related scholarly collaboration.
• Research and Expertise Services Core professional service offering covering legal research, expert opinions on domestic and foreign law, drafting of legislation and public policies, and strengthening of legal capacity for employees of partner institutions. Targeted at government bodies, courts, judicial academies, ombudsman offices, and other public institutions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Students' Association for International Cooperation (SAMS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026Cooperation agreement to support student involvement in international legal cooperation.
• Constitutional Court of the Republic of North MacedoniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026The Institute's delegation attended the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding and Bilateral Cooperation between the Constitutional Courts of Serbia and North Macedonia.
• Shooting Sport Federation of SerbiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026Cooperation agreement in sports law through the Center for Sports Law.
• Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labour DisputesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Cooperation agreement for joint activities in labour law research and dispute resolution.
• Rugby Union of SerbiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Cooperation agreement in sports law through the Center for Sports Law.
• Constitutional Court of the Republic of SerbiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Protocol on mutual cooperation signed between the Constitutional Court and the Institute, establishing a framework for joint activities in constitutional law research and institutional dialogue.
• Regional Ombudsman Office in NišminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Sporazum o saradnji (cooperation agreement) signed with the first Regional Ombudsman Office in Serbia.
• Provincial Ombudsman (Vojvodina)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Cooperation agreement signed with the Provincial Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman).
• Commissioner for the Protection of EqualityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Meeting held to enhance and institutionally strengthen mutual cooperation in equality protection.
• Belgrade Science and Technology ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Cooperation agreement signed to establish framework for joint activities in law and technology, with particular focus on innovation and intellectual property.
• Serbian Games AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Framework agreement for joint activities in law and technology related to the gaming industry.
• Faculty of Law, University of East SarajevominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Meeting with representatives of the Faculty of Law, University of East Sarajevo.
• Faculty of Law, Union UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Working visit to Faculty of Law, Union University, Belgrade.
• Faculty of Law, University of NišcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Working visit and cooperation discussions with the Faculty of Law, University of Niš.
• Faculty of Law, University of Novi SadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Memorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and joint research activities.
• Association for Law and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2026Cooperation agreement with professors from the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, focusing on law and technology intersection.
• Faculty of Law, Goce Delčev University (Štip)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026International cooperation agreement signed with the Faculty of Law, Goce Delčev University in North Macedonia.
• Judicial Academy (Serbia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Cooperation agreement signed to strengthen long-standing collaboration in judicial education and professional development.
• Faculty of Law, University of KragujevaccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Addendum to existing cooperation agreement, continuing joint organization of the Dr Stefan Andonović award.
• Institute for International Politics and EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Working visit and meeting to discuss potential cooperation directions.
• Institute for Political StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Cooperation agreement with follow-up meeting for inter-institutional cooperation.
• Institute of European StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Cooperation agreement for joint research in European law.
• Institute for Serbian Culture Priština – LeposavićminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Memorandum of understanding for cultural and legal research cooperation.
• Miodrag Jovičić FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Meeting to establish cooperation with the foundation.
• European Society of International Law (ESIL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Institutional membership in ESIL, confirming the Institute's commitment to international legal scholarship and broader academic community engagement.
• Faculty of Law and Administration, University of WarsawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Memorandum of understanding for international academic cooperation.
• UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Active participation in UNIDROIT centenary academic conference and international workshop on transnational law, with researchers presenting papers on reinsurance law and PRICL instruments.
• Faculty of Law, University of BelgradecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ongoing cooperation with the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, including lectures, joint conferences, and research activities.
• Faculty of Law, University of Banja LukacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Continuing successful cooperation and friendly relations with the Faculty of Law, University of Banja Luka.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hague Academy of International Law: Premier international legal research and teaching institution with a mandate in private and public international law. Comparable as a long-standing, internationally recognized legal research body focused on cross-border jurisprudence.
• European University Institute (EUI) – Law Department: Major European academic institution producing comparative and EU law research. Comparable as a peer producing scholarly comparative law outputs and convening international legal academic networks across Europe.
• International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT): Intergovernmental organization producing comparative legal instruments and scholarship. The Institute is already an active UNIDROIT participant (centenary conference, transnational law workshop), making UNIDROIT a natural institutional peer at a higher international scale.

Regional players

• Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade: Largest Serbian law faculty and existing institutional partner. Comparable as a producer of comparative law research and training, though structured as a university rather than a dedicated research institute.
• Institute of European Studies (Belgrade): Serbian research institution focused on European law with a 2026 cooperation agreement with the Institute of Comparative Law. Comparable as a regional peer producing comparative European law research and policy analysis.
• Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw: Polish law faculty with a 2026 memorandum of understanding for international academic cooperation with the Institute. Comparable as a Central European academic peer producing comparative law research and hosting joint research activities.

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law: One of the world's leading comparative law research institutes, based in Hamburg. Operates with the same mandate of producing comparative legal scholarship, expert opinions, and international cooperation, making it the most structurally comparable peer to the Institute of Comparative Law.
• International Academy of Comparative Law (IACL): Global learned society dedicated to comparative law research and scholarship. Directly comparable in mission, scholarly output, and international conference organization, with membership spanning national comparative law institutes.

Emerging players

• Institute of International and Comparative Law (various national institutes): National comparative law research institutes (e.g., South African Institute for International and Comparative Law). Comparable as similarly scoped national institutes producing comparative law research and serving government and judicial institutions in their respective jurisdictions.

Others

• Heinrich Böll Foundation – Rule of Law and Democracy Programs: Policy foundation funding and producing comparative rule-of-law and governance research in Europe. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that supports similar research themes and often co-funds comparative legal work in the Western Balkans.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-institute-of-comparative-law

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Institute of Comparative Law