The Winter Courses

During the Courses

The Winter Courses focus on international law (both public and private) and take place over a period of three weeks. They follow the traditional structure of the Summer Courses and are comprised of a General Course and a series of Special Courses. The General Course lasts for the entire three weeks (15 hours), while each Special Course takes place over the course of one week (five hours). Every morning, attendees follow two hours of Special Courses and one hour of the General Course.

General Courses (daily – morning – compulsory) 
These courses highlight developments within the field of international law, and provide attendees with the opportunity to take a step backwards and, through an overall view and a comprehensive reflection, grasp the main lines of the discipline around which legal thinking is structured.

Special Courses (daily – morning – compulsory) 
These courses, consisting of five hours in total spread out over one week, deal with a particular question or topic, and are given by professors who have studied the subject extensively and are specialists in the field.

An e-learning environment with readings recommended by the professors is made available to all registered attendees one month before the start of the courses.

Seminars (three per week – afternoon – optional) 
All professors give seminars related to the subject of their course. During these interactive meetings, attendees are given the opportunity to ask questions, to obtain additional information on the course, and to participate in discussions.

Directed Studies sessions (two per week – afternoon – admission upon selection) 
The Directed Studies sessions are designed for advanced attendees, who aim to prepare themselves for the Diploma Exam of the Academy, or who are simply interested in participating in seminars delving more deeply into questions of public or private international law without sitting for the Exam.

Doctoral networking meetings (optional)
Doctoral students from different countries who are working on identical or related topics, are given the opportunity to regularly meet throughout the session, under the guidance of a lecturer or practitioner who is specifically assigned for this purpose. These doctoral networking meetings allow students to share their views, insights and different approaches with respect to issues relating to their research topics, leading to exchanges that can of course be continued after their stay at the Academy.