Lahore, September 01, 2023 (PPI-OT): As Pakistan celebrates its 76th year of existence, it faces a range of internal and external challenges, many of which are linked to international law. Key issues like the Kashmir conflict highlight the urgency of academic research in the realm of international law. In regard to this, Rashda Abbas – a final-year PhD International Relations candidate at the School of Integrated Social Sciences (SISS) – is passionately addressing these challenges through her doctoral research.
Focusing on international law’s impact on foreign investments in Pakistan, Rashda actively engages in trainings and courses to enrich her research perspectives. This dedication led her to apply for The Hague Academy of International Law’s renowned Summer Courses on Private and Public International Law. Successfully securing scholarships for both courses, Rashda joined an exclusive group of merit-based awardees.
The courses, held from July 10 to August 18 at The Hague Academy, situated within the historic Peace Palace, provided Rashda with a comprehensive understanding of key international law dimensions. The “Public International Law” course focused on areas like the law of disarmament, armed conflicts, international human rights law, and the sacrosanctity of diplomatic missions. Through lectures, discussions, and directed studies, Rashda was able to both reinforce old concepts and grasp newer ones while also establishing linkages between them.
The “Private International Law” course explored areas such as evidence gathering, transparency, and individual property rights. Importantly, these two courses synergize, enhancing Rashda’s knowledge and reinforcing her research interests. Her work involving contract enforcement benefits from insights gained through both Private and Public International Law perspectives.
Having learned from leading experts in the field at the epicenter of international law, Rashda underscores the relevance of international law for Pakistan. Recognising Pakistan’s imperative to excel in this domain, she seeks to elevate the standard of international law research within the country. She also hopes that the connections that she has established at The Hague will not only prove to be instrumental in shaping her intellectual reasoning but also help improve the quality of research here.
Also, with SISS and the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR) already doing work on the intersection of international law, international security, and foreign policy, Rashda’s experience and exposure to The Hague will come in handy going forward. Certainly, Rashda is enthused at the prospect of doing more research and policy work in the said discipline.
For more information, contact:
The University of Lahore
1 – KM Defence Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-865-865, +92-42-35322501 +92-42-35321761
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.uol.edu.pk