Class of 2026

The students of the class of 2026

Our 18th IFLOS Summer Academy

The 18th IFLOS Summer Academy was held at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea from 19 July to 14 August. Continuing the tradition of previous years, the Academy brought together young professionals and academics from around the world under the overarching theme of “Promoting Ocean Governance and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.”

Special Thanks

The successful realization of the Summer Academy each year depends on the continued support and commitment of a great number of people and institutions. The Foundation would like to express its sincere gratitude to all those who have supported us. Whether through financial assistance, voluntary work, moral support, or their continued commitment over the years, every contribution plays an important role in making the Summer Academy possible.

In particular, the Foundation would like to express its sincere thanks to Tomas Heidar, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, Registrar of the Tribunal, and all the members of the Tribunal’s staff. Your support is greatly appreciated. By providing the Summer Academy with its exceptional setting on the premises of the Tribunal, you have created an environment that is unique in its character and greatly enriches the experience of our Participants, lecturers, and everyone involved in the Academy’s program.

In addition, the Summer Academy wishes to express its sincere appreciation to our financial supporters, whose generous contributions make it possible to welcome participants from all over the world, including through the provision of scholarships. Their support also allows us to assemble a distinguished international faculty each year. In 2026 we received support from the Federal Foreign Office, the Edmund Siemers Stiftung, the Korea Maritime Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, the German Shipowners’ Association, the Seerechtsstiftung, Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd., the DNV SE and the Jens-Peter und Betsy Schlüter-Stiftung für Schifffahrt und Umweltschutz.

Beyond financial contributions, the Academy also benefits greatly from the cooperation of its partner institutions. We would therefore like to thank the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law Hamburg, the Comité Maritime International (CMI), the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and the World Maritime University (WMU).

As this years’ academic schedule also contained several ex loco lectures and learning experiences, we would also like to thank our additional hosts, including the Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, Skuld Germany, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court, the Hamburg Port Authority, the International Seamen’s Club and the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency for welcoming our participants and contributing to the diverse program of this year’s Academy. 

2026 Participants and guests at the Opening Reception

Participants

This year, the Foundation was delighted to welcome 42 Participants representing 33 different States. Two of these States were represented at the Summer Academy for the first time. As a result, the Academy’s global network now extends to 143 Nations, with 649 Alumni from every continent. The Tribunal seconded 7 attendees within the framework of the Nippon Program. Once again, a high number of applications was achieved, with over 140 submissions.

As in previous years, the applicants demonstrated strong academic backgrounds and impressive professional experience, reflecting the consistently high standard of the Summer Academy’s international applicant pool.

A Growing Network

One of the particular strengths of the Summer Academy is the network that develops among its Participants. Despite their diverse legal, professional, and cultural backgrounds, the participants quickly established strong personal and professional connections, forming a close knit and highly engaged cohort over the course of the four weeks. With their assistance, the Foundation will endeavor to maintain a comprehensive record of all participants, thereby facilitating enhanced networking opportunities and integrating this year’s participants into the Alumni Circle established by the class of 2007.

Names and Nationalities of all Alumni can be found at www.iflos.org/alumni. If you believe the Foundation has overlooked anyone, please contact us: summeracadamy@iflos.org.

Faculty / Schedule

The 2026 Faculty brought together a combination of familiar faces and new contributors to the Summer Academy. The lecturers represented a broad range of professional backgrounds, including judges, legal practitioners, and academics.

Over the course of the program, Participants were introduced to a wide variety of topics relating to the law of the sea, maritime law, and associated areas of international law, such as marine environmental protection, oil pollution, and its consequences.

Given the successful execution of prior Summer Academies, the schedule was structured to include a dedicated thematic session on maritime delimitation. This session incorporated a practical workshop with courses on legal and political solutions, fostering a comprehensive learning experience.

For the first time, the schedule also included an interactive session on maritime spatial planning at the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).  The exercise provided an engaging way to experience the complexities of maritime spatial planning, while highlighting the importance of negotiation, cooperation, and balancing different interests.

Open Event: Edmund Siemers Lecture

A longstanding feature of the Summer Academy is its Open Event sponsored by the Edmund Siemers Stiftung, which provides an opportunity to bring together Participants, supporters, members of the wider maritime community, and anyone with an interest in the law of the sea or maritime law. The event traditionally combines an academic lecture in the main Courtroom of the Tribunal with a subsequent reception, giving guests and participants an opportunity to exchange views and continue discussions in an informal setting.

For this year’s Edmund Siemers Lecture, we were pleased to welcome Dr. Dorota Lost-Sieminska, Director at the IMO. Her presentation addressed the topic “UNCLOS, BBNJ and the International Maritime Organization” and was followed by a lively Q&A session, where Participants and guests participated equally and provided valuable insights in their own fields of expertise. The Open Event, as well as the Q & A session was moderated by the Foundation’s Chair Prof. Dr. Alexander Proelß. 

Exam

As has become an established part of the Summer Academy, the academic program concluded with a mandatory examination. The exam gives Participants the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding they have developed throughout the Academy in the fields of the law of the sea and maritime law.

For the examination, the Participants were divided into groups of up to 7 people. Each group was assessed by a two-member commission. The commissions consisted of a chair, Prof. Dr. Alexander Proelß, Prof. Dr. Valentin Schatz, or Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer, together with one of the additional examiners, former ITLOS Judge Helmut Türk, Dr. Moritz von Rochow, or Dr. Tony Cabus. Rather than following a conventional question-and-answer examination format, the exam took the form of an extended academic conversation. Questions posed by the commission were passed from one candidate to another, allowing the Participants to engage with one another and develop discussions on a broad range of subjects addressed during the Academy. At the conclusion of the group examinations, each commission selected one outstanding candidate from each group to proceed to the distinction examination.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Next to the challenging academic schedule, we always like to reserve some time for our Participants for extra-curricular activities to get to know some of the beautiful and interesting places our city and its vicinity have to offer, and to get the chance to build connections within the cohort beyond the professional sphere. This includes an informative open-top city bus tour through Hamburg as well as a boat tour through Hamburg’s port and a visit to the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg. The Participants also had the opportunity to leave Hamburg for a day and explore the historic Hanseatic city of Lübeck, followed by some relaxing time at one of the nearby Baltic Sea beaches. To conclude the social program, the cohort came together for a “Night Out Bavarian Style” and, finally, the annual farewell dinner. 

Senate Reception

At the end of the Summer Academy, the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg held an impressive and well-attended reception in the Town Hall hosted by the State Secretary Christoph Holstein. Additionally, Tomas Heidar, President of the ITLOS, and Prof. Dr. Alexander Proelß, Chair of the Foundation, held closing remarks. We are particularly honored and grateful to have once again been invited to this special graduation ceremony and reception at Hamburg City Hall, marking the 18th consecutive year of this longstanding tradition. 

Closing Remarks

With the conclusion of the 18th IFLOS Summer Academy, we look back on another successful, stimulating, and memorable four weeks. The Foundation would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the Academy in any capacity. This includes those who took an active role in the classroom as Participants or lecturers, those who contributed to the numerous events and activities surrounding the academic program, and those whose work behind the scenes helped ensure that the Academy could take place smoothly. We are deeply thankful to each and every one of you for making the 2026 edition such a success.