Course description

Geneva has long been one of the world’s capitals of international law. The presence of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and many other international organizations and NGOs make it a buzzing place in the field. This breeding ground naturally led to the focus and strength of the University of Geneva in international law. This summer course provides one of the easiest ways to have access to that world.

This course is made for students who are intrigued by international law or marvel at its day-to-day interactions with international politics, affairs and business. This is the opportunity for such students to get a crash course to introduce them to this fast moving, intellectually thrilling and profoundly humane field of the law. The course is shaped so as to bring out the best of current issues in international law, while remaining accessible to non-specialists and seeking to broach the main principles of “International Law 101”, so as to allow enthusiasts to go further.

The 2017 programme comprises the following courses (subject to minor modifications and adjustments):

Weeks 1 and 2: Summer School in International Law

• Foundational courses:
  - Sustainable development: 7h
  - Non-state actors: 7h
  - Politics of International Law: : 7h
  - International dispute settlement: 7h

• Specific insights:
  - International investment protection: a failed experiment?: 3h
  - The challenge of climate change: 3h
  - The South China Sea Dispute: 3h
  - International law and diplomats: 3h
  - International law and Gender: 3h

Week 3: additional module on International Humanitarian Law

• Course content:
  - International Humanitarian Law today: 4h
  - Refugee law: 4h
  - Challenges of the International Criminal Court: 4h
  - Terrorism: 4h
  - Targeted killings: 4h
  - International humanitarian law and human rights: 4h

Please note: Changes to the draft program may be made at any time prior to the start of the course.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, participants will have a general understanding of some of the cutting-edge issues in international law today. This will allow them to either orient their future studies or refresh and extend existing knowledge.

Evaluation

Participants are evaluated based on a take-home paper, to be written within a month after the end of the summer school.

Equivalence of 6 ECTS (weeks 1 and 2) or 3 ECTS (week 3) or 9 ECTS (weeks 1, 2, 3)

Swiss grading scheme. No grade for participation in class.

Target Audience

Upper-year undergraduates, Master's degree students, Professionals. Course taught in English. Professionals can choose to take only specific parts of the program. For details on this possibility, please contact us.

Tuition Fees

UNIGE students:

International Law (weeks 1 and 2): 350 CHF

International Law with additional module in Humanitarian Law (weeks 1, 2 and 3): 450 CHF

Additional module in Humanitarian Law alone (week 3 alone): 250 CHF

Others:

M1: International Law (weeks 1 and 2): 2,000 CHF

M2: Additional module in Humanitarian Law alone (week 3 alone): 1,200 CHF

M3: International Law with additional module in Humanitarian Law (weeks 1, 2 and 3): 2,500 CHF

Faculty & Staff

Course Directors:

Professor Makane Mbengue
Academic Director
University of Geneva

Professor Thomas Schultz
Graduate Institute, Geneva

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Schedule & Classes

Summer school in international law
Long courses - 7 hours
Week 1
- Makane Mbengue, Sustainable development
- Jean d’Aspremont, The Politics of international law
Week 2
- Thomas Schultz, International dispute settlement
- Pierre Bodeau, Non-state actors in international law

Short courses - 3 hours
Week 1
- Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, The challenge of climate change
- Ginevra Le Moli, Human Dignity
Week 2
- Thomas Schultz, Investment arbitration: A failed experiment?
- TBC, The South China Sea Dispute
- TBC, World Trade and Emerging Economies

Summer school in international humanitarian law / additional module on IHL
Short courses - 4 hours
- Marco Sassoli, IHL today
- TBC, Refugee law
- TBC Challenges of the ICC
- TBC, Terrorism
- TBC, Targeted killings
- TBC, IHL and Human Rights

More detailed schedule will be coming soon.