Private international law in a global world: a revival of methodologies and research methods

Until recently, discussions on methodology in private international law were confined to the boundaries of traditional, doctrinal legal research. The focus has
long been on the analysis of a legal system and its rules dealing with the existence of other legal systems. Being intertwined with comparative law, the study of private international law has a long tradition of applying comparative methods, and has been furthered by comparative law. Different debates, however, started to unravel or, at least, become more apparent. Along with the development of the role of private law in society, normative and behavioural research has become increasingly important. This has also triggered a more interdisciplinary approach to private international law, including empirical methods and economic analyses. Private international law has broadened its horizons to address societal, financial, technological, and climate problems. This chapter revisits the traditional public/private divide in private international law, anlyses the development of inter- an multidisciplinary approaches and how the future of private international law is shaped through legal education and methodology.