Martti Koskenniemi (°1953)
Profession: Professor international law
Nationality: Finnish
Why an honorary doctorate?
Martti Koskenniemi is a global authority in the field of international law. The link between law and power is central to his work. Since the publication of From Apology to Utopia: The Structure of International Legal Argument (1989), and later The Gentle Civilizer of Nations: The Rise and Fall of International Law 1870-1960 (2001), Prof Koskenniemi has been a leading figure in international law, legal theory and history of law.
His work is essential to understand why colonial and economic power relations have undermined the neutrality of international law.
“The world is a difficult place to understand, it’s a contradictory place.”
About his career
He bridges the gap with political science and the history of ideas, where interest in international law has grown significantly, and couples scientific excellence with social commitment. He was also a diplomat from 1976 to 1996, including a role as head of the legal department at the Finnish ministry of foreign affairs.
Martti Koskenniemi has been nominated by the Faculty of Law and Criminology.
What is an honorary doctorate?
VUB has awarded honorary doctorates every year since 1978 to personalities from the most diverse backgrounds who have made a remarkable contribution to their field and to society. From this solemn moment of recognition, they bear the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa of VUB.