General Information
The Nuremberg Summer Academy is an annual intensive summer course, which provides young professionals with an invaluable opportunity and stimulating learning experience to acquire or deepen their knowledge of substantive and procedural aspects of international criminal law. Facilitated by leading international experts and practitioners, participants acquire practical knowledge on the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of core international crimes.
Since 2019, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy has been holding two editions of the Nuremberg Summer Academy: one in French and one in English.
In 2026, the Nuremberg Summer Academy will be held in a hybrid format.
For more information on previous editions, please click here.
Both the anglophone and francophone editions will be held in a hybrid format, comprising a self-paced online course from May to July 2026 and an in-person programme in August 2026. The in-person anglophone edition will take place from 3 to 7 August 2026 and the francophone edition from 10 to 14 August 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany.
The Nuremberg Summer Academy is open to young legal professionals and academics working in fields related to international criminal law (e.g. human rights, criminal law, public international law, international humanitarian law).
- Legal Professionals: prosecutors, judges, lawyers or other legal professionals.
- Academics: researchers or lecturers at accredited universities.
Applicants should have a minimum of three years and a maximum of ten years of professional experience (for more information see below How Do I Calculate my Years of Experience?).
Priority will be given to young professionals directly involved in (or likely to be directly involved in) the investigation or prosecution of core international crimes, and to young professionals from conflict and post-conflict zones, or conflict with no or little access to education in international criminal law. Due consideration will be given to gender balance and equitable geographic representation.
No. Participants can only attend the Nuremberg Summer Academy once. If you applied in the past but were not selected, you can reapply.
No. Full time participation and availability for the entire duration of the programme is compulsory. Applicants who are only available to attend part of the training will not be able to participate in the Nuremberg Summer Academy.
The International Nuremberg Principles Academy follows the UN Guidelines for determination of level and step on recruitment to the professional category and above. Work experience can be acquired on a full-time or part-time basis. Work experience acquired on a part-time basis should be credited proportionately to the time worked. This applies to self-employment, including consultancies, internships and volunteer work. Internships only count as 50% of the work experience.
- For example, for a six months internship, only three months can be added to your years of experience.
If you have less than three years of working experience but more than 33 months, your application may be considered.
Application process
All applicants must complete an application through our online system.
Step 1: Provide your personal details.
Step 2: Fill out the application form. You will be asked to provide information on:
- Your language skills;
- Your education;
- Your work experience;
- Your knowledge of international criminal law and international humanitarian law; and
Your availability for the Nuremberg Summer Academy.
You will also be asked to provide a statement of interest (maximum 600 words) and to upload an updated version of your curriculum vitae.
Step 3: Submit your application.
The application process will open on 15 December 2025 and close on 30 January 2026 at midnight CET. No application will be accepted beyond this date.
No. Applicants can only apply to one Summer Academy, either the anglophone edition or the francophone edition.
No. When you apply to the Nuremberg Summer Academy full time participation and availability for the entire duration of the programme is required.
Admission to the Nuremberg Summer Academy is competitive. A selection committee carefully reviews all applications. The committee strives to select the most qualified and motivated applicants using a scoring system based on the following criteria:
- Legal education in the relevant field;
- Understanding of international criminal law and/or international humanitarian law
- Past and present professional experience working as prosecutors, judges, lawyers, other legal professionals or working or academics at accredited universities working in disciplines related to international criminal law (e.g. human rights, criminal law, international humanitarian law and public international law);
- Direct involvement in the investigation or prosecution of core international crimes;
- Proficiency in spoken and written English or French (depending on the edition of the Nuremberg Summer Academy selected);
- Personal motivation;
- Originating from a conflict or post-conflict zone; and
- Gender balance and equitable geographic representation.
All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by end of February 2026. Shortlisted applicants will be called for an online interview to be held between March and April 2026. Definitive results will be communicated by the end of April 2026.
Please check your spam box. If you did not receive any confirmation e-mail, it is possible that your application was not received by the International Nuremberg Principles Academy. You need to register again.
Please refrain from using business or academic e-mail addresses to which you will not have access before, during and after the Nuremberg Summer Academy.
Yes. All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application by end of February 2026.
You will receive an email from the International Nuremberg Principles Academy informing you about the progress of your application by end of February 2026 and additional information about the selection process.
Languages
It is indispensable that you have a good working knowledge of either English (for the anglophone edition) or French (for the francophone edition) in order to be able to follow the lectures. You are not required to provide us with official language proficiency certificates when applying.
No. For the anglophone edition, the lectures will be held in English and for the francophone edition, the lectures will be held in French. Please make sure that you apply to the relevant edition.
No. Participants can only attend one edition (francophone or anglophone).
Fees and Scholarship
No. The Nuremberg Summer Academy is free of charge for participants. Participants are not required to pay any course fees.
Yes. The International Nuremberg Principles Academy provides full scholarships to all selected participants. Scholarships cover all costs including visa expenses, flights, travel insurance, full board and lodging, daily allowance, field trips, and transportation.
Additionally, the Nuremberg Academy will provide financial assistance to selected participants who need support for the purchase of technical equipment (stable internet connection, camera, microphone, etc.) for purposes of the online course.
Visa and Travel
The International Nuremberg Principles Academy will prepare a letter of invitation for those who need a visa to attend the in-person programme of the Nuremberg Summer Academy. We will also assist you with your visa application.
Yes. The International Nuremberg Principles Academy will provide travel health insurance for each selected participant.
Lectures and programme
Participants will acquire or deepen their knowledge of substantive and procedural aspects of international criminal law, as well as gain practical knowledge on the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of core international crimes.
The programme varies from one year to another. In 2026, the programme will be conducted in a hybrid format. In May 2026, selected participants will be given access to an E-learning platform on international criminal law (available in English and French). Participants will have three months to complete the self-paced online course. The online course comprises of 10 modules, including 24 recorded lectures by renowned experts, retention exercises and reading materials, and is designed to build foundational knowledge of international criminal law. The lectures will cover the following topics:
- Introduction to International Criminal Law (ICL)
- Core Crimes of ICL (Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes, Crime of Aggression)
- Modes of Liability
- Introduction to the International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Procedure at the ICC
- Investigations
- Prosecutorial Strategy
- Participants in Proceedings
- International Cooperation
- Domestic Prosecutions
Completion of the online course is a prerequisite of the in-person phase.
In August 2026, participants will be hosted for one week in Nuremberg for instructor led in-person lectures. The programme will feature interactive sessions, group exercises, mock trials and guided visits to historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.
Selected participants will receive login details to the online platform in May 2026. Participants will have three months to complete the entire course. Completion of the online course is a prerequisite of the in-person phase.
The programme for the in-person phase will be made available on the International Nuremberg Principles Academy’s E-learning platform in July 2026.
Participants are expected to complete the self-paced online course in preparation for the in-person programme in Nuremberg. All the instructions will be shared via the E-learning platform.
The Nuremberg Summer Academy aims to help you strengthen your knowledge of substantive and procedural aspects of international criminal law and help you acquire practical knowledge on the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of core international crimes. You will find the in-person phase a lot easier if you complete the online course, which will focus on practical aspects of investigating and prosecuting international crimes and will comprise of group exercises and a mock trial.
Certificates and Examinations
Yes. Participants who attend the full duration of the Nuremberg Summer Academy will receive a certificate on the last day of the programme.
Yes. Final exams take place on the last day of the Nuremberg Summer Academy. There are no exceptions to taking the final exam.
The final exam aims to assess your progress during the programme. Taking it is mandatory to obtain the certificate of participation, but results will have no impact on the issuance of the certificates per se.
Contact
Please re-read the above frequently asked questions and the information on our website before contacting the International Nuremberg Principles Academy.
If you require more information on the Nuremberg Summer Academy, please contact summeracademy@~@nurembergacademy.org.