The course aims to introduce students to public international law. The students will acquire the necessary legal tools to use international law effectively and critically assess its role in shaping international relations.

The course provides an overview of the main rules and concepts of international law, focusing specifically on legal methodology, the distinctiveness of international law, and its influence on international relations, particularly on current global issues.

The course comprises two components: the Lecture (“cours magistral”) and the Practice Seminar (“travaux dirigés”). The Lecture consists of 12 sessions, each lasting 2 hours, while the Practice Seminar comprises 8 sessions of 2 hours each. The Lecture introduces the foundational concepts of public international law. The Practice Seminars are intended to put them in practice and to get a deeper understanding of them.

The final grade is composed of:
1) the final exam (50%)
2) “contrôle continu” (50%)

Final Exam – 3 hours. The final exam is composed of: 1) a practical case (50%) and 2) an essay (50%).
The “contrôle continu” grade is composed of a midterm exam (50%) and the grades resulting from the exercises done in class (50%).
Midterm – 3 hours. The midterm is composed of: 1) a practical case (50%) and 2) an essay (50%).

Exercises in class:
1) one oral presentation (25%),
2) one essay (25%),
3) one practical case (25%),
4) one group assignment (25%),
5) class participation (bonus).

The course adopts an interactive pedagogical approach, encouraging active student participation through individual and group-based activities. These activities encompass both written and oral exercises, conducted both in-class and as assignments to be completed outside of class.