On July 27, 2018, a total of 342 students hailing from 83 countries were awarded a certificate upon successfully completing the Public International Law Session of The Hague Academy. Four alumni from Peru, India and France reflect and share with us their thoughts and experiences on their time spend at the Academy. It turns out, their experience was filled with many hightlights.
Nandana Thipperudraiah, National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, India
The summer course at the Hague Academy of International law gives you a glimpse into the world of international law and its practice. The academy invites eminent professionals to teach and interact about various subjects in various capacities. This imports uniquely, the combination of traditional theoretical knowledge and the practical aspects of it, thus giving a holistic picture of the field. What makes this program unparalleled to others is the exceptional quality of scholastic expertise by the professors. They not only impart the required knowledge, but also articulate it from the lens of their particular and avid experience. The academy itself is well placed within the premises of the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration to motivate and spark intellectual rigour.
Along with the lectures and seminars, the academy also organises visits to various institutions such as the International Criminal Court, the MICT, the OPCW, the Special Tribunals, Embassies and many more. We even got the opportunity to sit in one of the sessions of the International Court of Justice next door. Moreover, we also had many opportunities to meet the sitting judges of the ICJ. This is a remarkable opportunity for an international law student because first, it contributes to the much needed exposure, adequate enough to inspire a career in international law and second, it presents a realistic picture of what the profession would entail.
Further, the academy is very accommodating to people of various nationalities and culture. My program included people of 83 nationalities and beyond the academic life of the academy, as a student, I had the opportunity to meet people from various walks of life, adding their own perspectives into the program. In addition, to complement the course in the program, the peace palace library provides excellent resources to supplement our study in the program or otherwise. To conclude, The Hague Academy of International Law has been and still is the haven for international law.
Carole Dominique Wurtz, Doctorante en Droit International de la Santé Université, Montesquieu, Bordeaux, Université Laval, Québec
"Les trois semaines passées à l'Académie ont été pour moi une période formidable. L'Académie offre un environnement très stimulant pour tous ceux passionnés de droit international. Ce cadre, international en lui même, est unique pour les échanges culturels et le partage de savoirs.
Les enseignements de grands professeurs d'université, les visites des organisations internationales, les rencontres avec des juristes "chevronnés", tout ici est organisé pour permettre une immersion complète dans la connaissance et l'expérience du droit international. L'accès à la plus grande bibliothèque de droit international est aussi une opportunité exceptionnelle. Pour y avoir passé de nombreuses heures, je dirai que la bibliothèque du Palais est un havre de paix pour les esprits occupés par la recherche.De surcroît, tout le personnel de l'Académie s'est montré très disponible pour répondre à toutes mes questions. Je quitte cet endroit avec regret... A bientôt, je l'espère!
Paola Rojas Gálves, Peru
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The experience of studying at The Hague Academy of International Law is the same feeling as flying without putting away your feet from the ground. The Hague is a special place because it’s the city of peace and justice. In this edition, the Academy arranged meetings with judges from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and we even had the chance to meet and discuss with Judge Cançado Trindade. What is more, we had the extraordinary opportunity to attend and witness the order on the request of provisional measures in the Qatar v. United Arab Emirates case inside the ICJ. But it would never have been the same experience if I didn’t have the chance to meet so many students from around the world (PhD candidates, magisters, etc) with whom I was able to exchange opinions and ideas.
Sacred environments inside the Peace Palace are individually magic in their own way but the Peace Palace Library is the perfect environment to continue our legal research with the best and latest collections and publications of international law. This enabled us to deepen our knowledge on any subject matter presented to us during the Courses. This experience has fulfilled me as an academic which is precisely what I will take back to Peru with me as the best experience ever.
Juan Carlos Lara Paredes, University of San Martín de Porres , Peru
Since my very start at the Law School of the University of San Martín de Porres in Perú, I always knew I wanted to specialize in public international law. To have the opportunity of being taught by the best lawyers and academics of international law, it has been the greatest academic experience I have ever had. For me, it was very difficult to come to The Hague, but I put in all my effort and I had the support of my family to be part of this Summer Course. Now I am more than sure that it has been worth every effort I made. I had the opportunity to meet people from 83 nationalities, most of them became very good friends of mine, and I had access to the best library collection on International Public and Private Law in the world in the Peace Palace Library. So yes, I definitely recommend taking the Summer or Winter Course to everyone!