The Hague Academy of International Law Winter Courses 2027 at the Peace Palace, The Hague (11-29 January 2027; Full-Fee Registration Closes 1 October 2026)

The Hague Academy of International Law holds its Winter Courses at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Introduced in 2019, they are one of the pillars of the Academy's academic work and, like the Summer Courses, offer in-depth teaching in both Public and Private International Law, delivered in a single three-week session. The 2027 session runs from 11 to 29 January 2027.

Each session has a General Course spanning all three weeks and Special Courses of one week each, together with afternoon seminars and guest lectures. Lectures are given in English or French with simultaneous interpretation into the other language. Courses delivered at the Academy are later published in its Collected Courses series.

• Inaugural Lecture: International Law: a Constitution or a Gentle Civiliser of National Interest? (Danilo Türk, Emeritus Professor at the University of Ljubljana)
• General Course: International Law as a System of Claims (Pierre d'Argent, Professor at the Université catholique de Louvain; delivered in French, interpreted into English)
• New Developments in International Law, in Particular in the Law of the Sea, in Relation to Sea-Level Rise (Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu, Judge at the International Court of Justice; delivered in French, interpreted into English)
• Territory in International Law: Statehood, Natural Resources, and Human Rights (Ingrid Brunk, Professor at Vanderbilt Law School)
• Cosmopolitanism in International Law (Olivier de Frouville, Professor at the University Paris-Panthéon-Assas; delivered in French, interpreted into English)
• Abuse of Process before International Courts and Tribunals (Serena Forlati, Professor at the University of Ferrara)
• Private International Law through the Lens of Non-Discrimination (Dulce Lopes, Professor at the University of Coimbra)
• International Investment Law: a Chinese Perspective (Wenhua Shan, Senior Professor and Dean of the Law School at Xi'an Jiaotong University)

Selected attendees may also take part in doctoral networking sessions coordinated by Dr. Letizia Lo Giacco (Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies), additional afternoon lectures, embassy visits and social activities.

The Winter Courses are meant for students and practitioners who already have a solid grounding in international law. Registration is open to applicants of any nationality who meet one of these conditions:

• they hold an undergraduate law degree (BA, AB, LL.B. or equivalent) by the start of the Winter Courses, or a document certifying completion of three years of university-level legal studies, preferably including coursework in international law; or
• they have completed at least four consecutive years of university-level studies that included coursework in international law.

All applicants must be proficient in one of the Academy's two working languages, English or French.

Directed Studies are advanced seminars for the most qualified attendees, open only to candidates who hold at least a Master's degree or equivalent (Master's holders, PhD candidates, or legal professionals with several years of relevant experience). For 2027 the English-speaking section is directed by Massimo Lando (Fellow, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore) and the French-speaking section by Apollin Koagne Zouapet (Legal Officer, International Court of Justice).

You apply for Directed Studies through a field in the same online registration form. The application also needs a CV, a typed letter of motivation (maximum 1.5 pages) and a letter of recommendation from a professor of international law, which the referee sends as a signed PDF to scholarships-winter@hagueacademy.nl. Admitted participants sit a mock exam on the first day, and each Director may select a few of them to sit the Academy's Diploma Exam in the third week: a five-hour written test, followed by an oral exam for those who pass.

The registration fee for the Winter Courses in The Hague is EUR 1,350. Pay it after you receive the letter of pre-admission and the invoice by email, either online through your Academy account or by international bank transfer. Your registration is confirmed, and the final admission letter issued, only after the payment reaches the Academy's bank. Fees are non-refundable except for serious medical conditions or other exceptional circumstances that are documented and assessed by the Academy.

Travel, accommodation and living costs are separate. The Academy's FAQ suggests budgeting around EUR 450 per month for food. The scholarship window for this session (1 May to 31 July 2026) has closed, so only full-fee places remain open.

• Create an Academy account (or log in) and complete the online Winter Courses registration form before 1 October 2026, 23:59 hrs The Hague time. The Academy recommends using a computer, as mobile devices may not support every feature.
• Upload, in PDF format only (except the photograph): a copy of a valid passport, an identity photograph, a certificate of university enrolment (students) or a statement from your employer confirming current employment (professionals), and a copy of your highest diploma.
• Any document not in English or French needs a translation, combined with the original in a single file. A self-translation is accepted with a sworn statement giving the date, place, name and signature of the translator.
• Only complete forms are considered. The email address you register with is used for all official correspondence.

Full-fee applications for the on-site session are reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis from 1 May, subject to availability. Replies usually come within 2 to 4 weeks of submission. Places fill quickly and the Academy may put some applicants on a waiting list, so apply well before the 1 October deadline.

At the end of the session, attendees who have regularly attended receive a Certificate of Attendance signed by the Secretary-General. The Academy is not a university and does not award ECTS or other university credits.

The Academy also offers the 2027 Winter Courses online over the same dates (11 to 29 January 2027). Only the morning courses are streamed live on Zoom, and recordings stay available for five weeks. Online registration is open to all interested applicants without selection, costs EUR 475, and has no scholarships. Online participants receive a certificate of enrolment by email, not a certificate of attendance. See the Online Winter Courses page for details.