Summer courses
During the academic year it became apparent that a great many students is interested in participating in an internship at an international organisation or in a summer course on international law.
Both international internships and summer courses can, if thoroughly prepared and carefully selected, form an important and interesting supplement to your study. For an internship with an international organisation one may add that some professional experience can also be gained, whereas legal summer courses may add to your theoretical knowledge of (international) law in general or a specific topic within the field. Next to the international experience and meetings, such an activity can also offer you a comparative advantage for your future, both on a personal and on a professional level. This will be advantageous no matter what your plans upon completing your studies are, but especially if you wish to continue in international law, when it may even be a requirement.
Below you will find a limited overview of relevant summer courses. The availability of summer courses is substantial and varied (much more than is apparent from below). It is seen as a possibility by universities and institutes to raise their profile, to achieve goals through education and sometimes to earn money. Generally, one can say that attending a good summer course is dependent on your own enthusiasm, qualities and interests. The same goes for finding the necessary financial means. Unfortunately, the University of Leuven can only be of very limited assistance as far as the latter is concerned.
It is up to you to find the relevant information regarding costs, programs, calendars, requirements and so on – usually the Internet is an excellent start.
For internships, click here.
Institut René Cassin:
Strasbourg, Human Rights. Extensive course of high quality, about 4 weeks concerning the European Convention on Human Rights and the Strasbourg Jurisprudence. Pretty expensive, but there are scholarships available.
See: http://www.iidh.org/pages/sess_ann.html
European University Institute:
Florence, Italy, European University Institute, course on European (Community) law and a course on Human Rights.
See: http://www.iue.it/AEL/SummerCourses/Index.shtml
International Committee of the Red Cross:
Each year the ICRC helps run two intensive summer courses on international humanitarian law for undergraduate and postgraduate law students. The students' quality improves each year and the number of people wishing to attend the courses increases every year, so the organizers are in a position to select quality candidates. Both courses are mainly aimed at students who have already studied international law and who are interested in international humanitarian law. The English course takes places in Warsaw and the French one takes place in a different country each year.
For more details on the 2012 English course, click here.
Hague Academy:
Very prestigious summer courses. See http://www.hagueacademy.nl/
Email: registration@hagueacademy.nl
Human rights summer course K.U.Leuven - Universiteit Tilburg
Excellent course. Two weeks: 1 in The Hague and 1 in Leuven.
See http://www.law.kuleuven.ac.be/pubrecht/rvdm/summercourse.htm
International School for Nuclear law (Montpellier)
Summer course on international nuclear law
See http://www.nea.fr/html/law/isnl/index.html
San Remo Institute (http://www.iihl.org)
Summer course international humanitarian law.
See http://iihl.facile.duemetri.net/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=271
UN (Geneva) Graduate Study Programme
Summer course in Geneva about the UN and UN agencies and programmes in Geneva. In French and English. There is no fee but travel and accomodation costs must be paid by the participants. The course is only open to postgraduate students.
See http://www.unog.ch/unog01/files/012_unis/r12_graduate.html
For application forms, please email pbaigrie@unog.ch
Summer school International Criminal Court & Minority Rights in Galway
See http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/summer_schools.htm
Email: humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Summer course space research, at the International Space University
Annual intensive interdisciplinary summer course. First there are four weeks of basic courses relevant to space research, including inter alia "space and society", "space policy and law", "space engineering", etc. These courses are designed for non specialists. Thus even lawyers should be able to understand the more technical courses Then there is a test about these courses. After that there is a project and several thematic days. At the end the projects are presented. The whole course lasts 9 weeks. The location differs each year. In 2003 the course takes place from 5 July until 6 September 2003 in Strasbourg, France.
For more information, see http://www.isunet.edu
L'Institut d'études fédéralistes et régionalistes ("Fondation Emile Chanoux")
See http://www.fondchanoux.org
Summer course international humanitarian law in Germany
The Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (Bochum) is organising in collaboration with the German Red Cross its 10th summer school in international humanitarian law in Berlin. The course, in German, is designed for 25 law students interested in gaining more knowledge in the field of humanitarian law. The course will take place from 1 to 7 August 2003. Click here for more information. Applications should reach the Institute before 5 June 2004.
