J.S.D. candidate Khawla Wakkaf has achieved a remarkable milestone as the first Syrian national and Notre Dame Law School student to receive the prestigious ITLOS-Nippon Fellowship. Awarded by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation, the ITLOS-Nippon Fellowship provides advanced training to a select group of up to seven junior to mid-level governmental officials and researchers. Participants engage with pressing issues related to the law of the sea, maritime law, and dispute settlement mechanisms. Wakkaf earned this distinguished opportunity following nominations from Notre Dame Law School, namely Professor Paolo Carozza and Professor Paul Miller, and the Law School's International and Graduate Programs. 

"I want to express my sincere and profound gratitude to my advisor, Professor Paolo Carrozza, whose unwavering support, guidance, mentorship, and wisdom have been instrumental throughout my time at Notre Dame Law School," said Wakkaf.

"I am also profoundly grateful for Professor Paul B. Miller, associate dean for International and Graduate Programs, whose leadership and support of the J.S.D. program have been instrumental in shaping our academic pursuit and fostering an environment conducive to our intellectual growth," Wakkaf added. "Their nomination is a testament to their dedication and commitment to educating a different kind of lawyer."

Outside of the Law School, Professor Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, director of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, supported the nomination for Wakkaf to receive the ITLOS-Nippon Fellowship. Wakkaf also expressed her deepest gratitude to Pérez-Liñán for his support and for fostering a scholarly community that promotes research excellence on pressing global challenges. This emphasis on rigorous research and legal scholarship reflects a broader commitment to advancing international law.

The ITLOS-Nippon Fellowship offers an intensive, annual capacity-building and training program focused on dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Fellows receive training from the Judges of the Tribunals, Registry officials, and leading international law experts from the United Nations and international organizations, universities, law firms, and other relevant institutions from around the world. The comprehensive curriculum encompasses a wide range of topics, including dispute settlement, the law of maritime delimitation, the law of the sea and human rights, marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, international environmental law, maritime security, and the law of state responsibility. The fellowship provides training sessions, workshops, and mock cases to enhance the fellow's practical and professional skills, as well as training in negotiation and mediation to prepare them for their potential role as agents, counsel, or legal advisers in cases before international courts and tribunals. As part of the program, Wakkaf will conduct independent research under the supervision of Registry officials and present her findings to the Judges of the Tribunal.

At the beginning of the fellowship, Wakkaf participated in the Summer Academy of the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea, along with 40 junior to mid-level government officials and researchers. She received a certificate of distinction at Hamburg City Hall for her research on due diligence standards under Part XII of UNCLOS.

Throughout the fellowship, Wakkaf expanded her knowledge and network by visiting esteemed institutions such as the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the European Commission, and the International Criminal Court. She also attended hearings and met with legal staff. Wakkaf further advanced her research at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law, where she presented key findings from her work.

"The Nippon Fellowship at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has been the most rewarding experience in my academic career so far. As the first Syrian and first Notre Dame student to be awarded this prestigious fellowship, I highly recommend that other students apply to this position where they can work on cross-cutting issues in international law, get training on almost every topic in international law, and eventually become experts in the field of the law of the sea and maritime law," said Wakkaf.

Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 program. Learn more here: https://www.itlos.org/en/main/the-registry/training/itlos-nippon-foundation-capacity-building-and-training-programme/

Originally published by Arienne Calingo at law.nd.edu on February 07, 2025.