CIL is proud to have become a participating institution of the United Nations Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea. A Memorandum of Arrangement to the effect was signed in January 2011 by CIL’s Director Prof Robert Beckman and Mr. Serguei Tarassenko, Director of the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS). The Fellowship will provide an opportunity for successful applicants to be attached to CIL and UNDOALOS for research and training on the Law of the Sea.
The Fellowship is intended, primarily, for government officials as well as research fellows or lecturers who are involved in ocean law or maritime affairs, or related disciplines, either in government or educational institutions and bodies. The purpose of the Fellowship is to assist candidates to acquire additional knowledge of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to promote its wider appreciation and application, and to enhance specialized experience in those fields. Fellowships are granted in accordance with the Guidelines and Rules of the Fellowship attached as Annex J. Candidates must have a degree in Law, Marine Sciences, Political Science, Ocean Management or technical training in Ocean Management, Administration of Ports or in related disciplines; they must have at least five years work-related experience; and they must be between the ages of 25 and 40 years.
The Fellowship consists of a research/study period of three to six months which is spent at a participating educational institution that has the relevant in-depth competence and expertise in the Fellow’s selected area of research. Research topics are chosen by the Fellow( s) and approved by the supervising professor. This phase is then followed by one to three months of study at DOALOS.
The HSA Fellowship is administered by the Division. Applications are evaluated by an Advisory Panel of eight eminent persons in international relations, the law of the sea and its implementation. The Legal Counsel of the United Nations then awards the Fellowship on the basis of the evaluation and recommendations of the Advisory Panel. In selecting an institution of study for recipient(s) of the Fellowship, due regard will be given to the preference of the recipient(s) for a particular university or institution. Due regard will also be given to the preference of the recipient(s) in respect of the area of research, and the period during which the Fellowship will be implemented.
Fellowship recipient(s) will, after consultation with and acceptance by the CIL, be provided facilities to pursue courses, undertake research, receive further training or gain specialized experience. A supervising professor will be assigned to oversee a dissertation or study on an aspect of the law of the sea as may be decided between the Fellow, the supervising professor and DOALOS.
For more information and application details, please visit the UNDOALOS website.