International Law Under Construction
By Editorial Board, Groningen Journal of International Law | board@grojil.orghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnCfmXWGD4
The Groningen Journal of International Law (GroJIL) was founded in 2012 by students who set out to prove that the main purpose of research in international law should be its contribution to society and the rule of law. Much in line with this, albeit admittedly unrelated, the University of Groningen (RUG) chose ‘Sustainable Society’ as one of its main themes of research. Following the RUG’s general theme, the Department of International Law decided to build its research and teaching around the central idea of international law for sustainable societies.
In furtherance of the efforts to promote international law and its role in addressing societal issues of the present and the future GroJIL is proud to reveal its international law blog: ‘International Law Under Construction’. It is our newest initiative to fulfil the Journal’s mission to promote knowledge, innovation and development in international law. We aim to do so by exploring the role of international law in the creation of sustainable societies.
International Law Under Construction is maintained by GroJIL staff in close cooperation with the Department of International Law at the University of Groningen. The department’s academic staff welcomes the opportunity to utilise International Law Under Construction as one of its main platforms to engage in a frequent, continuous exchange among academics as well as students and to promote the exchange of ideas between legal scholars and society at large.
International Law Under Construction allows GroJIL to frequently disseminate ideas in addition to our biannual issues. With International Law Under Construction we believe we can stimulate the discussion of international law at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, and beyond. The format of a blog allows for direct interaction with society. Blog posts and the manner in which they are written are inherently easier to consume outside the legal academic community. In that sense, International Law Under Construction can effectively contribute to the active advancement of knowledge in society and the promotion of international law for sustainable societies. Furthermore, a blog allows for brief commentaries by readers and scholars and invites (academic) discussion that can provide inspiration for further research and contribute to the development of international law.
In addition to stimulating the academic debate, we believe that International Law Under Construction can contribute to the intellectual development of students of international law. GroJIL already seeks to regularly promote noteworthy contributions to academia by students. International Law Under Construction will amplify these efforts by providing students with a platform to increasingly interact with academics, share their opinions and contribute to debates in the comment sections of each post. Furthermore, we wish to inspire students of international law with in-depth posts from young professionals in the field of international law. Thereby we further hope for ideas to depart from the ivory tower of legal scholarship, create societal impact through the dissemination of ideas, and promote the practical application of legal scholarship in the creation of sustainable societies.
GroJIL was founded almost five years ago by a few ambitious students at the University of Groningen. We believe International Law Under Construction is a natural progression from the humble beginnings of the Journal and an exciting step forward to further develop its societal impact. International Law Under Construction, we hope, will promote the University of Groningen as a place for academic creativity and legal innovation. Naturally, this endeavor would not be possible without the support of the academic staff at the Department of International Law, our fellow students at the University, the entire GroJIL team, past, current and future, and, indeed, our faithful readers. We are eagerly awaiting a stimulating exchange of ideas on this new and exciting platform.
The Editorial Board of the Groningen Journal of International Law
