Call for Scholarship Candidates - 79th Biennial Law Conference ONLINE NovDec 2020

The objectives of the International Law Association (ILA) are the study, clarification and development of international law, both public and private, and the furtherance of international understanding and respect for international law.

One of the main activities is the organisation of a biennial law conference. The 79^th Biennial International Law Conference was due to take place in Kyoto, Japan but, unfortunately, as a result of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, the ILA and the Japan Branch have taken the difficult decision to amend the format of the event and host an online conference at the end of the year. 

The online conference will take place from 29 November - 13 December 2020. The theme is ‘Bridging for the Future’ and general information about the event is available at http://ila2020kyoto.org/ 

Accordingly, the format of the Scholarship scheme has been amended to reflect these changes and it will now consist of an award to participate in the ONLINE conference sessions. Please note that there will be NO financial support attached to ANY Scholarship award given that successful candidates will not be required to travel in order to participate.

A call for candidates for the conference has been issued and individuals are encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Candidates who satisfy the Eligibility Criteria will be selected having regard to the general objectives of the Scholarship Fund and in the light of the following, more particular, qualities demonstrated by their applications:

1. their aptitude for international law in the form of academic excellence, intellectual rigour, imaginative thinking, sound reasoning, careful presentation;
2. their potential for developing a greater understanding of and involvement with international law;
3. their potential for contributing to the promotion of international law and/or to the enhancement of participation in it, in particular (though not exclusively) in regions where the ILA is under-represented or where the particular ILA conference is taking place.

The candidate must:

• be enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate course doing research in international law or be an early career professional in international law (first five years);
• show a strong interest in international law (which can be demonstrated by, for example, a law school major, classes, papers and extra-curricular activities);
• show how conference participation would benefit his/her research or career in international law;
• make a case that they do not have access to other sources of funding, for instance from their home institutions;
• not have received an ILA scholarship in the past; (PLEASE NOTE that in view of the exceptional circumstances necessitating an ONLINE Biennial Conference, the Scholarship Committee has agreed that recipients of a scholarship for the 79^th Biennial Law Conference 2020 will not be precluded from applying for a Scholarship to attend the 80^th Biennial Law Conference in 2022)
• comply with the Eligibility Criteria.

Applications are particularly welcomed from younger persons in regions of the world that are generally under-represented in the ILA’s work.

AWARD

Full Scholarships for this conference will not be financial by nature. Rather they will seek to concentrate upon the prestige of an ILA scholarship and the recognition that the ILA can give to scholars instead of financial support to facilitate physical attendance. This is because the conference will take place ONLINE and there will be no travel or accommodation expenses that would otherwise be required to be covered.

APPLICATIONS

Applications for scholarships for the ILA Biennial Conference in Kyoto, Japan from 23-27 August 2020, must be received by 10 July 2020 (17:00 Hrs UK).

Applicants should download and complete the attached application form. The completed form should be returned, together with supporting documentation, to info@ila-hq.org

The Selection Committee will announce their decision by 28 August 2020 and successful applicants will be informed immediately. The decision of the Committee is final and no correspondence will be entered into.