Professional Training and Capacity

Development: Educating the Next

Generation

The experience of the T.M.C. Asser

Instituut

23 September 2014 Tanya Mehra

*1838 – 1913

*Dutch lawyer/scholar

*Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (1911) for his role in establishing the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the First Hague Peace Conference

TOBIAS MICHAEL CAREL ASSER

TMC ASSER INSTITUUT

What do we do?

•Conduct research & consultancy;

•provide training &education;

•Organize conferences & events

•and have own publishing house.

Asser Institute is an inter-university research center specialized in International and European Law.

Asser Instituut

OUR TRAINING PROGRAMMES

I. Capacity building trainings aimed at strengthening the rule of law for judges, prosecutors and civil servants from the judiciary, national ministries of justice and relevant (governmental) organisations.

II. Summer Programmes for young professionals and mid career professionals in different areas of international law.

III. Contributing to curricula development in the different areas of international law to training institutes, universities or organizations.

I. CAPACITY BUILDING TRAININGS

• Training are geared to strengthen the rule of law and building the institutional capacity of semi- governmental institutions.

• Elements:

– funded by the MFA or other ministries;

– Mainly for judges, prosecutors, civil servants working for semi) governmental institutions;

– In The Hague and at location;

– Back Home Action Planning.

ASSER SUMMER PROGRAMME 2014:

June 2 - 25: Summer Programme on International Criminal Law and

International Legal Approaches to Terrorism

June 30 - July 4: Summer Programme on International Sports Law: The

Expanding area of Sports Law

August 25 - 29: Advanced Summer Programme on Countering Terrorism in the

Post 9/11 World

August 25-29: Summer Programme on International & European Environmental

Law

September 1 - 5: Summer Programme on Disarmament & Non-Proliferation of

Weapons of Mass Destruction

MAIN FEATURES OF A TRAINING

• Demand driven & tailor-made.

• Bridging the gap between academic

community & practitioners.

• In depth study visits.

• Explore cross cutting subjects.

• Working with partners of

complimentary fields.

THE WMD SUMMER PROGRAMME IN BRIEF

� In close cooperation with OPCW;

� Evaluations provide input for next year;

� Covered the NSS 2014 and the destruction and removal of chemical weapons from Syria;

� E-learning site.

GUEST LECTURERS

� Diplomats, policy makers, legal officers, researchers, academics;

� Representing international organizations, think tanks, universities, NGO’S, ministries;

� From different backgrounds;

� Unique networking opportunity;

FIELD VISITS

� OPCW equipment store in Rijswijk

� Nuclear Research reactor in Delft

� Live exercise of alleged use of WMD

weapon at TNO Rijswijk

III. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

• Assist (semi) governmental institutions, universities and organization how to develop and implement a training

• Elements:

- How to define and select participants?

- How to conduct a need assessment mission?

- How to combine lectures with practical exercises?

- How to ensure sustainability of a training?

- How to evaluate a training?

TOWARDS AN ASSER ACADEMY?

TOWARDS AN ASSER ACADEMY?

Challenges:

•What kind of digital resources and tools are required?

•How to track the Asser participants?

•How to create an active alumni network?

•Crossing country or cross subject?

•From participant to ambassador

Asser Today