Our alumna reports back on her experience of doing a professional summer course in Private and Public International Law at the Hague.
Khristine Jane Ejercito (Public International Law LLM, 2022) writes about her experience:
“For more than a decade, I’ve dreamt of joining The Hague Academy of International Law - Académie de droit international de La Haye, a centre for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. This summer, this dream finally became a reality.
For six weeks which commenced on 10 July to 18 August, I delved into the intricate realms of both Private and Public International Law. Designed for professionals and students with a solid foundation in international law, these summer courses offer an immersive experience in staying updated with the latest and most crucial developments in the field. Moreover, aside from the general courses, I also qualified and completed the Directed Studies Programme reserved for selected attendees with proven advanced knowledge of the field of international law.
It was indeed an incredible journey. It gave me an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from distinguished experts like Honorable Judge Dame Rosalyn Higgins, former President of the International Court of Justice, Professor Linos-Alexander Sicilianos, former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Juan Manuel Gomez-Robledo, former member of the International Law Commission, Francisco Garcimartin, Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and Consultant at Linklaters, Honorable Judge Anselmo Reyes, Judge at the Singapore International Commercial Court and many others. With more than a hundred nationalities represented in our cohort, the summer programme also allowed me to network with other international lawyers for future collaboration.
Aside from lectures, I also had the opportunity to visit significant institutions in The Hague. I was fortunate enough to witness the historic judgment of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the appeal of the Philippine Government against the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber. I was also able to visit the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and tour the Peace Palace.
All of these would not be possible if I did not graduate from Queen Mary University of London. I genuinely believe that my Master of Laws degree (LLM in Public International Law) has prepared me for this programme. Hence, I highly recommend this programme to all international law students who wish to further their knowledge in the field and spend their best summer in The Netherlands.
For those interested you can visit the Hague Academy of International Law website for more information."