“Law shouldn’t be dogmatic”

Martina Smuclerova has taught Public International Law at Sciences Po since 2011. This Sorbonne-educated international legal expert and Czech diplomat has previously served as a delegate to the United Nations, the European Union and the European Space Agency.  We asked her about her course.

Martina, you are a very popular professor in Le Havre. Students particularly appreciate your expertise in international law and your infectious enthusiasm for the discipline. Where does this passion come from?

Public International Law is a wonderful and challenging branch of law that encompasses our whole world and presents an intersection of a great variety of national interests, needs and values. It is based on the core consensual norms of international cooperation. Anyone interested in international affairs and law, logical and critical legal thinking, and the constant interaction between law and politics on the one hand, and who wants to bring to bear their intellectual creativity and concern for global progress and well-being on the other, finds a passion for Public International Law. Being aware of the legal perspective of international relations refines and strengthens our understanding and opens up new horizons. It is a pleasure and a challenge to convey this message to  brilliant, motivated students from all around the world. The Le Havre campus is a modern, stimulating place and the governance team there is proactive and innovative. It is a great pleasure to cooperate with them to develop new concepts and academic modules.

In 2015 on the Le Havre Campus, you instituted a course entitled “The Making of International Law”, La fabrique du droit international. What exactly is the course about?

Law shouldn’t be dogmatic. I try to teach students both the substantive principles and specific rules and the skills to know how to work with the law, how to interpret legal rules and formulate legal arguments adequately to defend one’s position, and how to critically assess the weight and potential of the legal argument. The course “La fabrique du droit international” aims to show how Public International Law is created, applied and enforced, using simulations and real examples of international legal negotiations, judicial proceedings, dispute resolution or treaty-making. In 2015 the course was dedicated to Space Law, one of the most challenging and vibrant legal fields today. We visited the European Space Agency in Paris and the French National Space Agency CNES, where our Science Po students engaged in very professional talks with experts and international negotiators. Students also simulated a UN Security Council session and drafted an excellent Chapter VII resolution on a crisis in outer space, and made perfect defense speeches before the ICJ moot court on suborbital flights. The expertise they have gained and their dedication are amazing!

Which courses do you teach at Sciences Po?

I have been lecturing in Public International Law at the Sciences Po campuses in Paris, Reims and Le Havre since 2011. In addition to general courses on Public International Law, I teach specialized courses such as Law of International Security, Law of International Spaces, Law of International Organizations and now La fabrique du droit international. As we aim constantly to respond to new challenges in international law and world affairs, new academic concepts are being brainstormed and there is always something to look forward to!

Related link

• Learn more about the Europe-Asia undergraduate programme on the Sciences Po campus in Le Havre