Announcement of the Competition for the International Law in the XXI Century Award (2024-2025)

We are happy to announce the 11th annual International Law in the XXI Century Award for the best research paper on public international law.

The Competition is conducted in accordance with the Regulations of the Competition and the Submission Rules, as well as the established practice.

The contestants may use the resources of the Library of the International and Comparative Law Research Center to write their papers.

The Competition is supported by Ivanyan and Partners and International Justice journal.

The award

The winner receives the International Law in the XXI Century Award, a diploma, and a prize of 500,000 RUB.

The winning papers of the previous competitions can be found on the Award’s webpage.

Key requirements for the papers and contestants

Research papers may be submitted either in Russian or in English and should address one or a few thematic areas specified in Appendix 1 to the Submission Rules.

The papers accepted for participation in the Competition shall be:

• prepared independently by one author
• either not published previously or published not earlier than 1 January 2024
• limited to 1-2 author’s sheets (40,000-80,000 characters)
• previously not submitted to the Competition (it is not recommended to submit research papers substantially repeating those that were previously submitted to the Competition).

Only citizens of the Russian Federation up to 35 years old inclusive (to the date of announcement) who completed higher legal education in law and/or hold a postgraduate degree in law, are eligible to take part in the Competition.

Evaluation of the papers

The winner is selected by the Council of the Award consisting of famous international law experts.

When assessing submitted papers, the Council of the Award takes into account the depth of research in a selected subject, novelty and practical value of findings, the quality of analysis of the applicable law, the usage of up-to-date doctrine, the logic and clarity of writing, and the extent to which thesis statements formulated by an author are well-founded and reasoned.

Please note that plagiarism is unacceptable. The Organizer checks the papers for plagiarism, including by using special automated systems. The Council of the Award will be informed about cases of plagiarism and incorrect citation.

The timeline

The paper and other necessary materials must be submitted by 31 March 2025 by email to prize@iclrc.ru and/or by filling out the form at the Award’s webpage.

The results will be announced no later than 30 June 2025, if not specified otherwise in accordance with the Regulations of the Competition.