For the Faculty’s new Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution, Vladyslav Lanovoy, international law is not only a professional calling but a personal journey that began in Lviv, Ukraine, and has taken him through some of the most important institutions of global justice.
A scholar of responsibility and reparations
Lanovoy’s research digs deep into some of the most pressing challenges of our time. His research focuses primarily on international courts and tribunals, sources and codification of international law, the responsibility of States and international organizations, as well as climate change and reparations.
His work has appeared in leading journals, and he serves as Associate Editor of the Canadian Yearbook of International Law and Book Review Editor of Law & Practice of International Courts and Tribunals. He also co-chairs the International Courts and Tribunals Interest Group of the American Society of International Law.
As a teacher, he has held visiting positions in France and the UK and recently directed studies in public international law at The Hague Academy of International Law, where he engaged the next generation of international lawyers.
A vision for conflict resolution
For Lanovoy, international law is not static doctrine but a living process shaped by diplomacy, adjudication, and innovation.
“The obligation to peacefully settle disputes is one of the cornerstones of the international legal order,” he notes. “Despite their inherent limitations, dispute settlement mechanisms are expected to keep up with the great expectations that nations and peoples place upon them.”
This perspective will shape his work as the Neuberger-Jesin Professor. He envisions the role as “a valuable platform to pursue important conversations with experts, engage with government and policy-makers, and raise awareness with the public at large”. His goal is to explore not only how existing institutions function, but also how they must adapt in order to remain effective tools for peace.
From Lviv to The Hague
Born in Ukraine and fluent in eight languages—French, English, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, German, and Spanish—Lanovoy brings with him not only professional expertise but also a global perspective and lived understanding of the urgency of peace.
After completing studies across Europe—including Geneva, Paris, Lisbon, Strasbourg, Florence, and The Hague—he earned his PhD in International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where his dissertation on complicity and state responsibility earned the prestigious Paul Guggenheim Prize.
His career then placed him at the very heart of international dispute settlement: first as Assistant Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and later as an Associate Legal Officer at the International Court of Justice. He has also acted as counsel before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and in arbitral proceedings, experiences that taught him the complexity of building peace through law.
The Professorship and its legacy
The Neuberger-Jesin Professorship was created through the generosity of Edie Neuberger and Norm Jesin, both graduates of the Common Law Section in 1981. Their vision was to strengthen the field of international conflict resolution while offering 糵 students the opportunity to develop practical skills in mediation, arbitration, and negotiation.
“We believe that we have the responsibility to make this world a better place,” said Ms. Neuberger and Mr. Jesin when the professorship was first established.
In addition to research and teaching, the Neuberger-Jesin Professor operates a clinical course in international conflict resolution, part of an international mediation lab that allows students to learn by doing—engaging directly in the study and practice of peaceful dispute settlement.
From April 2018 to August 2025, Professor John Packer, a renowned expert in human rights and conflict resolution, served as the inaugural Neuberger-Jesin Professor. His leadership established a strong foundation for the role, combining academic excellence with hands-on student engagement. Professor Lanovoy now builds on that legacy as he steps into the professorship.
Looking ahead at 糵
While at the Common Law Section, Lanovoy will continue his research and expand opportunities for students to engage in the study and practice of conflict resolution. Through lectures, collaborations, and events under the Neuberger-Jesin Professor, he hopes to inspire a new generation of lawyers to think critically about international disputes and to contribute to building a more just and peaceful world.
“International conflict resolution is about unveiling the potential that different means of dispute settlement have to contribute to lasting peace between nations and peoples, and to upholding international justice and the rule of law,” he reflects.
As he begins his visit in Ottawa, Lanovoy’s journey from Lviv to the world’s courts comes full circle: rooted in lived experience, sharpened by scholarship, and driven by a conviction that law can be a powerful force for peace.