American University of Sharjah (AUS) faculty member Dr. Kevin Gray was one of only two people awarded the prestigious Diploma in Public International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law following the academy's Summer 2015 course session. Certificates of attendance were awarded to the other 350 participants.

Dr. Gray is the first non-lawyer in the past 65 years to have won the acclaimed award and states that his biggest challenge while participating in the program was the need to memorize all the canonical cases in the course and have a deep understanding of the precedents. According to Dr. Gray, "The diploma is generally seen as recognition of the most promising young professors and researchers in international law. Those awarded the diploma form a list of scholars who have gone on to produce interesting work in international law. I hope that I will be among them."

He also credited his experience of running the AUS Moot Court-a simulated session of court proceedings that requires students to draft briefs, participate in oral arguments and memorize a vast amount of cases-as an important factor that helped him during the Hague Academy program.

An assistant professor in the AUS Department of International Studies, Dr. Gray said that he was fortunate to have had a Faculty Research Grant from AUS that allowed him to spend time at the University of Frankfurt writing and researching international law in June, which contributed to his preparation for the course in The Hague.

The Hague Academy of International Law is part of the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, which serves as the global powerhouse for international law. Along with the International Court of Arbitration and the Permanent Court of International Justice, the academy is one of the many notable institutions situated in The Hague and hosts a series of bilingual summer semesters for experienced professionals in the fields of public international law and private international law every year.