About

Jus Cogens: the International Law Podcast was initially created to foster engagement with international law professors at Leiden University in 2018. Since then the Podcast has grown exponentially, attracting the attention of international law practitioners, academics and students worldwide. The objective was the creation of a platform where underrepresented voices in international law would have an opportunity to engage with the field and its foremost experts. The Jus Cogens Blog is an endeavour to strengthen that platform. It builds upon the cachet created by the Podcast to offer a space where international law can be rigorously explored, debated, and refined.

Our Team

Omer Akif Creator and Host

Omer initiated Jus Cogens while reading public international law at Leiden University. He is currently based in Islamabad where he works as a legal research consultant with the ICRC and teaches Comparative Human Rights to LL.M students. Omer is interested in issues relating to the climate change legal regime, international criminal law and international humanitarian law. He tweets at @s_omerakif

Layal Alghoozi Managing Editor

Layal works as a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with an LLM in International Law and Security, focusing on the laws of armed conflict and human rights law. She tweets at @Layal9

Shayan Ahmed Co-host

Shayan is a Senior Research Associate at the Research Society of International Law (RSIL) and at the Centre of Excellence for International Law. He advises the government and armed forces of Pakistan on matters of IHL and LIO, and delivers lectures at various institutes and think-tanks.

Gergő Balázs Blog Editor

Gergő studies law at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, where he also works as a research assistant. He is interested in the procedural aspects of international law and international dispute settlement.

Fares Ather Co-host

Fares graduated from the University of Leiden with an LL.M in Public International Law. He has previously worked with the ICRC and CICC, and currently works for a multinational corporation as an investigator that reviews internal violations regarding corruption and bribery.