Summer Academy
at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Promoting Ocean Governance and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes

Overview

The International Foundation for the Law of the Sea was established to promote the opportunities provided by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the peaceful settlement of law of the sea disputes and the further implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

One of the Foundation's main aims is to promote learning and research in the field of international law of the sea at a global level, in particular for nationals of developing countries.

With this in mind, the Foundation established an annual Summer Academy at the seat of the Tribunal in Hamburg. The Summer Academy is a centre of excellence for studies of both international law of the sea and maritime law and includes related topics of economic and natural sciences. It brings together a prestigious faculty from among the judges of the Tribunal, professors and professionals from the maritime field with a dedicated group of highly-motivated participants from around the world (our Alumni).

The Venue

The Summer Academy is held in the nineteenth-century Villa Schröder on the premises of ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany.

Admission, Tuition, Scholarships etc.

Guidelines on Admission, Course structure, Course materials, Fees and Scholarships are to be found here. That page also leads to our frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Summer Academy in a Nutshell

An overview about the Foundation and the Summer Academy is provided here.

Our Track Record

The first Summer Academy was held in 2007,  providing the opportunity for the participants to broaden their knowledge and skills in international maritime affairs. Encouraged by the stunning success of this pilot project and the comments from both participants and faculty, the Foundation decided to create an annual event and a further four sessions followed in the subsequent years until to-date. For detailed information, please refer to our annual reports including the schedules, lists of lecturers, open event topics and resolutions by class members.

It is one of the hallmarks of the Summer Academy to assemble a new faculty of some 30 lecturers every year; many came only once, many returned in several years and some have been on the faculty since the very beginning until now - and all work pro bono.

Support

The Foundation could not have established the annual Summer Academy without the help and ongoing support of our supporters and we should like to express our sincere thanks.