The Rhodes Academy, organized annually since 1996, is a three-week program for diplomats, senior government officials, international organization staff, academics, researchers, and graduate students. Its goal is to provide specialization in the Law of the Sea and offer updates on the latest developments in the field.

 

International Cooperation and Sponsors

 

The Rhodes Academy is a collaborative international effort. The Aegean Institute works with several prominent institutions, including the Center for Oceans Law and Policy (USA), the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (Germany), the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (Netherlands), the Law of the Sea Institute of Iceland (Iceland), and the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore.

From 2009 to 2016, the program also had several academic sponsors:

• The Institute for Ocean Law Studies (Russia) (2009-2011)

• The Korea Maritime Institute (South Korea) (2011-present)

• The Research Center of the Sea and Maritime Law and Policy, Ankara University (Turkey) (2015-present)

 

Prominent Lecturers

 

The courses are taught by internationally recognized experts in the Law of the Sea and other marine sciences, including academics, diplomats, senior staff of international organizations, and judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

The academy's international recognition is evident from the fact that 15 out of 21 ITLOS judges have taught there, including former presidents: Thomas A. Mensah, Dolliver Nelson, José Luis Jesus, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Vladimir Golitsyn, Jin-Hyun Paik, and Albert Hoffmann. Judges from the ICJ, such as former President Hisashi Owada and Vice-President Bernardo Sepũlveda-Amor, have also lectured at the academy.

 

Participants and Impact

 

From 1996 to 2024, the Rhodes Academy has hosted 1,137 students from 125 countries. A significant majority of these alumni now hold influential positions related to the implementation, study, and evolution of the Law of the Sea. Many work as officials in international organizations, high-ranking government employees, or members of their countries' diplomatic delegations to the UN and other international bodies, while others have pursued careers as academics.

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For more information and a photo gallery, consult the dedicated page.