Postgraduate Research Conference on International Law of the Sea
Advancing the Frontiers: Early-Career Research on Law of the Sea
The International Law Department of the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID), with the support of La Conférence Universitaire Romande (CUSO), Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW), and La Société suisse de droit international (SSDI), invites you to the 2026 Postgraduate Research Conference on the Law of the Sea, to be hosted at the Maison de la Paix on 30 September. The conference aims to provide a forum for emerging scholars to present their work, engage in substantive academic exchange, and interact with peers and specialists in the field. It seeks to foster dialogue on current doctrinal and policy developments while supporting the advancement of scholarship in this area.
The international law of the sea is at a pivotal point as it grapples with complex issues, including maritime boundary disputes, deep-sea resource management, climate change, and the implications of the BBNJ Agreement. This conference invites early-career scholars to contribute to the academic debate and foster new insights into ocean governance.
The conference will explore topics such as:
- The law of the sea and climate change
- Marine biodiversity and environmental protection
- Deep-sea mining and resource exploitation
- Maritime delimitation and dispute resolution
- Freedom of navigation and high seas governance
- The BBNJ Agreement and its implementation
- Coastal state jurisdiction and sovereign rights
- Intersection of the law of the sea with human rights and international humanitarian law
The conference will feature paper presentations, panel discussions, and opportunities for networking within the Geneva Graduate Institute’s academic community.
For questions regarding the conference, please contact the organising team:
- Laisa Branco, PhD Candidate and teaching assistant in international law at the IHEID — laisa.branco@graduateinstitute.ch
- Tihao Zheng, PhD Candidate at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and teaching assistant at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights — tihao.zeng@graduateinstitute.ch
- Ralph Loren Eisendecher, PhD Candidate in international law at the IHEID and teaching assistant at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights ralph.loren@graduateinstitute.ch
