A Centennial Check-in on the Hague Academy’s Global Curriculum

Published in the Indian Journal of International Law. Volume 64, July- December 2024.

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Abstract

This centennial review critically examines the Hag

ue Academy of International Law’s so-called “global” curriculum, offering an incisive audit of its academic structure, course offerings, and intellectual frameworks through a contemporary, forward-looking lens. The analysis interrogates entrenched Eurocentric paradigms and their continued dominance in international legal education, highlighting the persistent exclusion of Global South perspectives and non-Western legal traditions. Utilizing a methodical review of the Academy’s Collected Courses, demographic trends, Curatorium composition, and publication records, this study traces the enduring Western-centric knowledge monopoly, reinforced by historical funding and geopolitical influences from leading American and European institutions. The paper identifies systemic barriers, such as limited representation of alternative legal traditions, underrepresentation of postcolonial frameworks, and restricted interdisciplinary approaches. To advance the Academy’s global mission and increase its relevance in a rapidly evolving legal landscape, the authors propose targeted curriculum reforms: diversification of faculty and guest lecturers, mainstreaming of TWAIL and other critical approaches, integration of core modules on non-Western legal systems, and strategic partnerships with institutions worldwide. By championing inclusive, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented methodologies, the Hague Academy can recalibrate its mission to produce a genuinely global, innovative, and resilient curriculum that equips international legal scholars and practitioners to address contemporary global challenges.

Keywords: Hague Academy of International Law, curriculum reform, international legal education, Eurocentrism, TWAIL, global legal governance, inclusive pedagogy, postcolonial legal studies.