Members of the Curatorium meeting in the Hague (2006)

The Xiamen Academy is an international and independent permanent academic institution dedicated to the study of international law. The mission of the Xiamen Academy is to promote academic research, scholarly exchanges and to be a platform for international cooperation. It seeks to educate experts in international law from across the globe (especially from the Asia-Pacific region), and to help to develop and to strengthen the role of international law in contributing to peaceful international relations and to establishing a new world order. The activities and functions of the Xiamen Academy include: organizing and convening an annual Summer Programme on contemporary topics of international law through lectures presented by world-renowned leaders in this field; organizing and hosting international academic conferences and seminars on international law; providing a neutral platform and academic environment for research, knowledge-sharing and exchanges in international law; and preparing, editing and publishing  international legal scholarship, including the Collected Courses of the Xiamen Academy of International Law.

Over the past twenty years, the Xiamen Academy has made every effort to deliver on its ambitious and important mission, and remains committed to undertaking this work and carrying it forward with excellence.

The Xiamen Academy aims to provide the highest level of legal education and to become an international reference point for excellence in its field. It has attracted leading scholars and practitioners, and promising young participants from all over the world. From 2006 to 2025, the Academy has successfully convened and hosted eighteen summer programmes,  which featured eminent international legal experts from around the world, including four former or then Presidents of the International Court of Justice –Judge Shi Jiuyong, Judge Owada, Judge Tomka, and Judge Yusuf. The attendees of the summer programmes included students and lecturers in international law, diplomats, practitioners of law, government officials and staff of international organizations. Participants engage with enthusiasm and dedication throughout the discussions during the sessions. Together, this high-level participation by experts and participants highlights the international recognition and support that the Xiamen Academy has received.

The Xiamen Academy aims to promote academic exchanges and cooperation in the field of international law. It has established and maintained close academic connections with international organizations and academic institutions from   all over the world, including the International Court of Justice, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and the Hague Academy of International Law.

The Xiamen Academy is committed to developing and disseminating the latest scholarship in relevant fields of international law. Itsedited work, the Collected Courses of the Xiamen Academy of International Law, has been continuously published by the renowned Brill Publishers, which has become an important collection in international law scholarship.

Despite challenges during its difficult early years, the Xiamen Academy has persevered on many fronts and now begins to see the fruits of its labors. It has been a solid and dedicated joint effort, with significant assistance from home and abroad. Many helping hands have contributed to the work of the Xiamen Academy. Together we have achieved the impressive "early harvest" of the Xiamen Academy, and also laid the groundwork for its further developments.

Looking to the future, the Xiamen Academy seeks to build on its early legacy. There is much to do. The Xiamen Academy pledges to continue to do its best to accomplish its significant mission, to carry on with renewed vigor and commitment, to strengthen its organization, structure and activities, aligned with its mission. Contributing to the continued development and understanding of international law in all of its dimensions requires all of us to do our best – the Xiamen Academy is honored to be part of this global undertaking.