International Humanitarian Law in Theory and Practice

“International Humanitarian Law in Theory and Practice” is the first MOOC of the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law, which is the platform within the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University for the research, teaching and dissemination of international humanitarian law (IHL).

Prof. Robert Heinsch, Dr. Giulia Pinzauti, and Dr. Emma Irving will provide you with a thorough understanding of the laws governing armed conflict in this course, which aims to lessen suffering among combatants. The why and how of IHL will be examined, then the various forms of conflict. You will quickly learn which laws govern the occupation of the West Bank, military intervention in Ukraine, and the civil war in Syria.

You will gain knowledge about how hostilities should be conducted in this course. Which weapons can combatants and other fighters use? And in military operations, who should never be a target? You will also examine the idea of protected persons and learn how IHL provides protection for the sick and injured, medical personnel, prisoners of war, minors, journalists, and other people who are not currently fighting. At the conclusion of this course, you will learn about the various implementation and enforcement strategies designed to promote greater respect for IHL. You are encouraged to critically consider the effectiveness of IHL here.

Throughout this course you will benefit from a mix of theory and practice, which is at the heart of the vision and mandate of the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum. You can participate for instance in an ongoing case study where drones are flying over the fictitious country Arfula, and detainees are locked up in tiny cells. Or, you can join the discussions about IHL success stories and the major IHL challenges people face today, with distinguished speakers from the International Committee of the Red Cross and US Naval War College!

This course offers:

• Flexible deadlines: Reset deadlines based on your availability.
• Shareable certificate: Get a Certificate when you complete
• 100% online
• Beginner level: Basic understanding of (international) law is helpful.
• Approx. 19 hours to finish
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Course ratings: 4.8/5

Enroll here: https://www.coursera.org/learn/international-humanitarian-law