Studying International Law at the School of International Studies

This article locates the significance of international law as a field of study and attempts to chronicle the academic journey of the Centre for International Legal Studies (CILS) at the School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Starting as the Department of International Law as part of the Indian School of International Studies (ISIS) in 1955, CILS came to occupy a unique location at the intersection of international law and international relations when it became a part of SIS. Over the years, the faculty, students and alumni of CILS, straddling the worlds of academics and practice, have not only built a premium Centre that has a distinct legacy of its own, but also have contributed to transforming the landscape of international law within the country and outside. The article traces this journey and celebrates seven decades of the contribution of CILS to the study of international law.