Summer Academy

Promoting Ocean Governance and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes

The International Foundation for the Law of the Sea (IFLOS) 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 IFLOS’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 the above in mind, the Foundation established an annual Summer Academy. 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. The Summer Academy will annually provide some 40 participants from all over the world with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills in these subjects. It is designed for highly qualified graduates, diplomats, civil servants and advocates (our Alumni).

2025 IFLOS Summer Academy

  • Dates: 13. July – 8. August 2025
  • Application deadline: 31. March 2025 – 23:59 (MEZ)

The Summer Academy will take place over a period of four weeks with two modules of two weeks, the first focussing on International Law of the Sea and the second on Maritime Law from an international perspective, interspersed by lectures from other scientific areas connected to the maritime environment.

Abstracts, Readers, Presentations and other material will be made available online in a password protected area of this website; participants need to register online to access the material. Certificate Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a participation certificate issued by the Foundation. There will be an exam that – if taken successfully – entitles participants to receive a qualified certificate.

The Summer Academy features a distinguished faculty comprising experts in the law of the sea and maritime law. The faculty includes judges, professionals, and esteemed academics.

The full list of faculty members for the 2024 Summer Academy is available here. For this year’s faculty, please follow our announcements on our social media accounts.

The Summer Academy is held on the premises of ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany. We are grateful to the Tribunal to provide a special Classroom off the beautiful Rotunda.

Certain topics and syndicate sessions may be offerred in the nineteenth-century “Villa Schröder” on site which also provides the Course Office.

Exteriour of the CourthouseITLOS Photo: Exteriour of the Courthouse
The registry inside the International Tribunal for the law of the seaITLOS Photo: The registry inside the ITLOS
Villa SchröderITLOS Photo: Villa Schröder

Admission, Course Fee, Scholarships etc.

  • As a rule, applicants are expected to be in possession of a Master’s degree (LL.M. or equivalent) and to have an advanced knowledge of public international law, law of the sea or maritime law. Exceptions may be granted to Bachelors (LL.B.or equivalent) with either a Master course in progress or professional tasks related to the curriculum of the Summer Academy. The Selection Committe might also grant very few exceptions – subject to availability of places – for undergraduates close to graduation with excellent results and academic focus on Public International Law, Law of the Sea or Maritime Law. Undergraduates are, however, not eligible for financial aid.
  • Participants must have a good command of English (to be documented by a TOEFL certificate, IELTS certificate or equivalent, unless native language or proof of an academic program with thesis, taught in English). Conversational proficiency in French will be considered an asset.
  • Applications need to be accompanied by two recent letters of recommendation.

The 2025 Course Fee has been set at € 2,050.– and covers tuition and course materials, lunches on course days, public transport in Hamburg for the duration of the course and a program of extra-curricular events.

The Cancellation Fee (applicable after invitation to attend and confirmation of attendance) is € 300.

Participants are free to choose accommodation of their choice. For participants who wish to have the Foundation organize their accommodation in Hamburg during the course, an additional € 2,170.– will be incurred. Participants will be accommodated at Apartment 040 in Hamburg Mundsburg or Hood House in Hamburg Winterhude.

The Cancellation Fee (applicable after invitation to attend and confirmation of attendance) is € 300.

Subject to the availability of supporters, the Foundation will award a limited number of scholarships. In general, scholarships are awarded to people from lower-income countries below the age of 40 and cover the Course Fee including an accommodation allowance. Partial scholarships may be awarded in exceptional cases.

Please consult the OECD DAC list of ODA Recipients (PDF) for the status of your country.

The Foundation might also grant financial support for international travel to and from Hamburg. Such Travel Grants are very rare and strictly reserved for participants from lower-income countries. The Foundation will book such transport at its discretion from and to the participant’s domicile at the time of application.

Please consult the OECD DAC list of ODA Recipients (PDF) for the status of your country.

Summer Academy in a Nutshell

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

Please also consulte the frequently asked questions (FAQ) for more information.