I am immensely grateful to the Nippon Foundation for its generosity that allowed me to pursue my LL.M. in the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), a dream I longed to reach that now has become a reality. I started as a junior diplomat with a budding interest in the law of the sea. I’m deeply humbled and honored  that I’ve become part of the pool of diverse IMLI alumni and Nippon Fellows with specialization in international maritime law. Coming from a maritime nation and archipelagic state, it is crucial for the Philippines to maintain its own pool of maritime experts, especially within the ranks of government. My IMLI experience, made possible by the Nippon Foundation, contributes to that goal. The members of the IMLI faculty who are experts in their own respective fields are equally instrumental to this professional experience. I am grateful for their wisdom and patience in giving lectures, advice and answers to whatever scholarly question I had, notwithstanding the difficulties of virtual classes. They weren’t just professors; they were my mentors. I owe them all my intellectual flowering. To Dr. Sasakawa and the Nippon Foundation, thank you for the faith and life-changing opportunity. As I embark on another chapter in my career, I commit to embody what I learned from IMLI and what the Nippon Foundation has inspired me to become – to do everything with honor and excellence, as I serve the rule of international maritime law.  

The course is very extensive and challenging and is certainly providing invaluable insight into many aspects of the work I engage with on a daily basis. The lectures are engaging and always willing to help and provide clarifications in order to provide students with the best experience and proper learning atmosphere possible. It has certainly been an experience which serves to help students progress both professionally as well as personally. I wish to thank the Nippon Foundation for this scholarship, which is providing me with the opportunity to obtain professional development in my field of work, as well as providing my employer and my country with well-equipped maritime legal professionals. I am ever grateful to the Foundation for providing me with this one in a lifetime opportunity to pursue my career in the field of International Maritime Law.

"Indonesia has always had an inextricable relationship with the sea. The Indonesian word for homeland is "tanah air" which directly translates to "land-and-water". As a foreign service officer, I believe that an understanding on how international maritime law works is a necessity; how we formulate and execute our foreign policy must inevitably take into account the geographical nature of Indonesia as an archipelagic State. I am therefore grateful to say that IMLI, with the generous support provided by The Nippon Foundation, has provided me with such understanding. The nine months programme was insightful; the unique approach to international maritime law provided by the programme, the combination between the normative and practical aspects of international maritime law, and the various perspectives on different issues offered by my classmates hailing from different regions of the world create a unique and rich studying experience. The rigorous nine months programme was also made easy with the help from the distinguished lecturers who share their expertise with such passion and approachability. It is indeed a privilege to be able to call myself an IMLI alumnus."

  The programme is academically rigorous, but quite fun and fascinating. I learned a lot from my teachers and my classmates. The structure of the programme ensures that I become a well-trained and top-notch international maritime law expert. I am profoundly grateful and deeply honored by the scholarship granted to me by the Nippon Foundation. As a government lawyer and legal adviser, my training at IMLI would greatly help my country in its efforts to achieve its vision of becoming a great maritime nation, whose maritime legal regime is modern, comprehensive, coherent, effective and at par with international standards. I pray that the Nippon Foundation be blessed with more success and may it be able to continue to help more government lawyers and legal advisers from developing countries to be trained in international maritime law.