LL.M. in International and European Law

Teaching Staff

"The assessment committee evaluates the criterion ‘quality of staff’ for the [VUB-PILC] Master of International and Comparative Law as excellent … The assessment committee emphasises that the range of expert domains represented in the programme is very good and that the practical input of the teaching staff – indeed recruited from practice (e.g. law firms, institutional relations with the European Institutions) – is vital to the programme. The teaching staff gathered in the programme has impressive qualifications both with respect to research and teaching and the (former) students appreciate the quality of their lecturing."

Koen DE FEYTER (PhD Law University of Antwerp; LL.M. PILC VUB; Certificate in International Humanitarian Law ICRC - Polish Red Cross) is full-time Professor of International Law at the University of Antwerp and part-time Professor at PILC and the University of Maastricht.

He was previously attached to the Human Rights Centre of the University of Maastricht, the Institute of Development Policy and Management of the University of Antwerp, and served as the Academic Coordinator of the European Master in Human Rights and Democratisation (Venice, Italy). He is a former Chair of Amnesty International Belgium (1998-1999) and an internationally recognized authority on human rights and development law.

His publications include World Development Law (2001), Human Rights. Social Justice in the Age of the Market (2005), Privatisation and Human Rights (2005, co-ed.), Out of the Ashes. Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of Human Rights (2006, co-ed.), Economic Globalisation and Human Rights (2007, co-ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the Loyola University of New Orleans Human Rights Review, Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, Africa Legal Aid Quarterly …

Paul DE HERT (PhD Law VUB) is full-time Professor of Law at VUB where he is Director of the Metajuridics Department, Director of the Research Group on Human Rights and core member of the Research Group Law Science Technology & Society. He also teaches part-time at the Tilburg Institute of Law and Technology at Tilburg University and is a guest lecturer at the Summerschool European Criminal Law organised by the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He is member of the European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN). He is often asked as a speaker and is a consultant to the European Parliament, in particular with regard to problems and questions with regard to European criminal law and data protection.

In addition to many publications in Dutch language law reviews, his work includes Constitutional Rights and New Technologies. A Comparative Study (2008, co-ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the International Review of Penal Law, International Review of Law Computers & Technology, Law, Science and Policy, Revue Trimestrielle des droits de l'homme, Revue international de droit penal …

Youri DEVUYST (PhD Political Science VUB; MA International Relations Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies; LL.M. PILC VUB; postgraduate "Licence" in International and European Law VUB) is Principal Administrator at the European Commission.

Previously, he was a member of the Cabinet of the Commissioner in charge of competition policy and also served in the Cabinet of three successive Belgian Ministers of Foreign Affairs. He is a part-time PILC Professor and is also on the faculty of the Master's Programme in International Law and Economics (MILE) at the World Trade Institute Switzerland (a joint institute of the Universities of Berne, Neuchâtel and Fribourg). He has been Visiting Professor at the Universities of Pittsburgh and Georgia (USA) and has provided guest lectures at numerous universities in and outside Europe, including Columbia University, New York University, American University, McGill University, the University of Toronto, Turku University etc.

His publications include The European Union Transformed: Community Method and Institutional Evolution from the Schuman Plan to the Constitution for Europe (2006) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the Berkeley Journal of International Law, Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law, Georgetown Journal of International Law, European Foreign Affairs Review, Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of European Integration, Journal of World Trade, World Competition, Global Governance …

Jonathan FAULL (BA Law Sussex; Certificate Law College of Europe, Bruges) is Director-General for Justice, Freedom and Security of the European Commission.

His past European Commission functions include Spokesperson of the President of the European Commission, Director-General Press and Communication, Deputy Director-General Competition and member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan.
He is a part-time PILC Professor, member of the Board of the VUB's Institute for European Studies, and also a member of the editorial boards of Common Market Law Reports, European Business Law Review, EU Merger Control Reporter, UK Competition Law Reports and World Competition Review. Past academic functions include Visiting Fellow Cambridge Centre for European Legal Studies and Visiting Lecturer at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris.

His publications include The EC Law of Competition (2007, co-ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the European Law Review, Fordham International Law Journal, Columbia Journal of European Law, International Financial Law Review, European Transport Law, Cahiers de droit européen …

Erik FRANCKX (PhD Law VUB; LL.M. University of Georgia; MA East European Studies Brussels/Ghent/Leuven; "Licence" Law VUB) is full-time Professor of Law at VUB and Director of its Department of International and European Law. Moreover, he has teaching assignments (in chronological order) at Vesalius College VUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Brussels School of International Studies (University of Kent at Canterbury), and the Université Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi.

His research focuses on international law in general, and law of the sea in particular. He has been appointed by Belgium as member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague, The Netherlands. He has also been appointed by Belgium as expert in marine scientific research for use in special arbitration under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He represents Belgium in the Advisory Body of Experts on the Law of the Sea within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He has served as a consultant to governments (foreign as well as the three levels of the Belgian structure, i.e. the federal, regional and community level), international, supra-national and non-governmental organizations.

His publications include Maritime Claims in the Arctic: Canadian and Russian Perspectives (1993), The Reception of International Law in Central and Eastern Europe (2002, co-ed.), The Exclusive Economic Zone and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982-2000: A First Assessment of State Practice (2003, co-ed.), Vessel-source Pollution and Coastal State Jurisdiction in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea (2006, co-ed.), Contemporary Regulation of Marine Living Resources and Pollution (Essays written by and in honour of the International Francqui Chairholder Professor Dermott Devine) (2007, ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, International Journal of Estuarine and Coastal Law, Ocean Development and International Law Journal, Belgian Review of International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, California Western International Law Journal, German Yearbook of International Law, Finnish Yearbook of International Law, South African Yearbook of International Law, China Oceans Law Review …

Ricardo GOSALBO BONO (Doctor of Laws University of Valencia; Doctor of Philosophy Cambridge University) is Director of the External Relations Team at the Legal Service of the Council of the European Union since 1998. Previously, he served as Legal Advisor at the Legal Service of the European Commission (1988-1998) and as Legal Advisor at the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations in New York (1982-1988).

He is part-time PILC Professor and part-time Professor of European Union Law at the International University "Menéndez y Pelayo", Spain (1999 to date). In addition, he is Honorary Professor of International Trade Law at the University of Barcelona (2002 to date), former Visiting Professor of European Union Law at the University of Cambridge (1993-1994), former Professor of Comparative Private International Law at the University of Geneva (1979-1981) and former Lecturer of International Law at the University of Valencia (1973-1979).
He is Member of the Spanish Bar, Member of the Middle Temple Inn of Court, England, Honorary Member of the Mount Vermont Bar Association in New York, and Member of the Asociacion Espanola de Derecho Internacional.

His publications include His publications include numerous book chapters and articles in journals such as the Common Market Law Review, Yearbook of European Law, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen, Repertoire Dalloz, Revue française d'administration publique, Revista General del Derecho, Revista de Derecho Comunitario Europeo, Anuario de Derecho Internacional.

Frank HOFFMEISTER (PhD Law Heidelberg; First and Second German Bar State Exam) is member of the “External Relations” Team at the European Commission’s Legal Service. Previously, he has worked on the European Commission's Cyprus Desk as well as for the United Nations Special Advisor on Cyprus. He also acted as OSCE election observer in Macedonia.

He is part-time PILC Professor and was before academically active as assistant at the Walter Hallstein Institute for European Constitutional Law of the Humboldt University of Berlin and a research fellow at the Max Planck-Institute for international law and foreign public law in Heidelberg. He served as a guest lecturer at numerous universities including Berlin, Prague, Istanbul, Zagreb, Novi Sad, The Hague, Maastricht and Oxford. He also taught at the European University Institute (Florence) and is a member of the board of the book series Studies in EU External Relations (Brill Leiden).

His publications include Legal Aspects of the Cyprus Problem – Annan Plan and EU Accession (2006), The United Nations and the European Union: An Ever Stronger Partnership (2007, co-ed.), Human Rights and Democracy Clauses in EC Agreements with Third States (1998) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the Common Market Law Review, American Journal of International Law, Heidelberg Journal of International and Foreign Public Law, International Constitutional Law, Europäische Grundrechtezeitschrift, Europarecht.

Marc MARESCEAU (PhD European Law University of Ghent; DES Droit Comparé Strasbourg, Diploma Institut de Hautes Etudes Internationales Geneva; Diploma Johns Hopkins University Bologna) is full-time Professor of EU Law and Institutions at Ghent University where he holds the Jean Monnet Chair, is Director of the European Institute and coordinator of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. He teaches part-time at PILC and the College of Europe, Natolin.

He is a world-renowned expert in EU external relations law and a pioneer in EU enlargement and neighbourhood studies. He has held visiting Chairs on EU external relations law at various universities, including King's College London, the Universities of Bologna, Rennes I, Pisa, Bordeaux IV, Paris II, Libera Università Mediterranea. He also taught at The Hague Academy of International Law. Between 1999 and 2002, he was President of the European Community Studies Association-World. He is also founding editor of the book series Studies in EU External Relations (Brill Leiden).

His publications include The Political and Legal Framework of Trade Relations Between the European Community and Eastern Europe (1989, ed.), The European Community's Commercial Policy After 1992: the Legal Dimension (1993, ed.), Enlarging the European Union. The Relations Between the EU and Central and Eastern Europe (1997, ed.); The State of The European Union. Vol. 4, Deepening and Widening (1998, co-ed.), The EU's Enlargement and Mediterranean Strategies (2001, co-ed.), and Law and Practice of EU External Relations: Salient Features of a Changing Landscape (2008, co-ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the Common Market Law Review and Revue du marché commun et de l'Union européenne.

Bernd MARTENCZUK (PhD Law Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main; Master of Public Administration Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; First and Second German Bar State Exam) is member of the European Commission’s Legal Service.

He is part-time PILC professor and was previously academically active as Research Fellow at Goethe University in Frankfurt.

His publications include Rechtsbindung und Rechtskontrolle des Weltsicherheitsrats (1996) and Justice, Liberty, Security. New Challenges for EU External Relations (2008, co-ed.) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as the European Journal of International Law, Europarecht, Heidelberg Journal of International and Foreign Public Law, European Foreign Affairs Review, Journal of World Trade Law.

Pierre MATHIJSEN (PhD Law University of Leiden; MA Economics University of Minnesota) is a member of the Brussels Bar and Managing Partner in Mathijsen law firm.
He previously was Director-General for Regional Policy and Director for Competition Policy at the European Commission. He also worked at the European Court of Justice and was member of the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank.

He is Emeritus part-time Professor at PILC-VUB and the Catholic University of Nijmegen. He has been academically active as a Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan Law School and is a member of the Editorial Board of the European Law Review.

His publications include the highly successful A Guide to European Union Law (now in its 9th edition, 2007), one of the pioneering works on the European Coal and Steel Community, Le droit de la Communauté Européenne du Charbon et de l’Acier: Une étude des sources (1957), and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as European Law Review, Irish Journal of European Law, Revue Trimestrielle de Droit européen, Tulane European and Civil Law Forum …

Arnaud NUYTS (PhD Law Université Libre de Bruxelles; LL.M. University of Cambridge) is a member of the Brussels Bar. He is Professor of Law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where he holds the Chair of Private International Law and is Deputy Director of the “DES en droit international des affaires”. He teaches part-time as PILC Professor.

Previously, he was Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, Visiting Researcher at Harvard University and Visiting Fellow at Cambridge, and he taught in several foreign universities, including Duke Law School, Athens University, and the Economics University of Hanoi.

His publications include International Litigation in Intellectual Propery Property and Information Technology (2008, co-ed), International Civil Litigation in Europe and Relations with Third States (2005, co-ed.), L’exception de forum non conveniens: Etude de droit international privé comparé (2002) and numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as Revue critique de droit international privé, Revue de droit international et de droit comparé, Journal de droit international, Revue belge de droit international …

PILC Professors Emeritus