Professor of International Law at Paris Nanterre University Jean-Marc Thouvenin Receives the Title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the School of Law

Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Professor of International Law at Paris Nanterre University in France and Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law, has been awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the School of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The award ceremony was held on Monday, 19 October 2026, in the University’s Great Hall.

Proceedings opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Next, Professor of the School of Law, Linos-Alexander Sicilianos, spoke about Professor Thouvenin’s work and personal qualities.

The formal conferment then took place with Professor Konstantinos Christodoulou, Dean of the School of Law, reading the official citation. Following this, he invested the honouree with the School’s academic gown.

The ceremony closed with a talk by the awardee, Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin.

In his welcome address, the Rector, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, said, among other things:

‘As Professor of International Law at Paris Nanterre University, he has helped shape the next generation of legal scholars. He also spent eight years directing the University’s Centre for International Law.

His research focuses on several major areas of contemporary international law, particularly the law of the sea, international economic law and international dispute settlement.

His contribution to The Hague Academy of International Law has been another defining feature of his career.

Since he was elected as Secretary-General in 2017, Professor Thouvenin has helped develop the Academy’s educational and scholarly activities and strengthen its international standing.

Alongside his academic work, Professor Thouvenin has advised governments and represented them before international courts and tribunals and in international arbitration, bringing a practical dimension to his scholarly expertise. His career illustrates how academic expertise can contribute to the practical application of international law.

This work has particular resonance at a time when respect for international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes and strong international institutions are essential to safeguarding peace and stability.’

Presenting the honouree’s achievements and personal qualities, Professor Linos-Alexander Sicilianos remarked:

‘Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin belongs to that relatively rare group of international lawyers who have excelled in all three fields: scholarship, practice before international courts and tribunals, and academic teaching. Indeed, what particularly distinguishes his career is the close relationship between theory and practice, between scholarly reflection and judicial argument, and between individual achievement and service to academic institutions…He is a man of ideas but equally a man of action. He does not merely formulate proposals. He works tirelessly to ensure that they become reality…For Professor Thouvenin, students are not simply participants in an academic programme. They are the future of the international legal community.’

Photos: Dimitris Konstantinidis