A Dynamic International Legal Hub
When completing an MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution and Civil Society Development, it is vital to understand how legal theory plays out in practice. The summer practicum to The Hague, in the Netherlands, allows students to visit a dynamic international legal hub, where they attend in-progress international criminal tribunals and meet expert judges and prosecution lawyers working in the courts.
When completing an MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution and Civil Society Development, it is vital to understand how legal theory plays out in practice. The summer practicum to The Hague, in the Netherlands, allows students to visit a dynamic international legal hub, where they attend in-progress international criminal tribunals and meet expert judges and prosecution lawyers working in the courts.
Past visits have included those to the International Court of Justice, a judicial organ of the United Nations and the oldest of The Hague’s courts, and the International Criminal Court, an international tribune with the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. “We have superb briefings from people who worked in these trials,” says Professor Susan Perry, Director of the MADIL program. “In 2023, we even had a Q&A with the President of the ICJ inside the courts themselves. I’d never heard of that happening before.”
In the past, students also attended the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. In 2023, when the tribunal ended, students attending The Hague Practicum were able to benefit from specialized briefings looking back at the tribunal’s 20-year history. “We were able to go the day after the tribunal ended and speak with a representative to learn more about the process of keeping it running all these years,” says Caleb Klubben, a student in the MSc in Human Rights and Data Science who attended the practicum. “I felt like we had enough time to really be able to take it all in.”
You don't get that kind of interaction through research or emails.
Before the practicum, students take part in a week of preparatory lectures at AUP at the start of the summer session. They explore various theoretical and practical elements of international law, through classes taught by expert judges and prosecution lawyers themselves. The in-classroom preparation is enhanced and complemented by the practicum, where students have the opportunity to see complex legal theories being applied at the courts in The Hague. “We were exposed to a range of laws we wouldn't have otherwise studied, such as the law of the sea,” says Emily Burch, an MA in Diplomacy and International Law student. “Talking with people who actually work in these places was a great way to finish off the first two semesters. You don't get that kind of interaction through research or emails.”
The practicum includes many opportunities to discuss the viability and legitimacy of international criminal courts from different angles, and is therefore adaptable to individual students’ interests, whether they wish to focus on victims’ rights, the legal process, or how the courts relate to national sovereignty. “I’m interested in working in the French foreign affairs service,” says Noé Sainderichin, who also attended the practicum. “The topics covered in the practicum will prove invaluable to my professional life.”