My name is Hager Mahmoud Mohamed said Abdellatif, and I have been awarded with the Vreede Scholarship by the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation to attend the 2018 Summer Program at The Hague Academy of International Law.

I work as a lecturer in the department of Public International Law, at the faculty of Legal Studies and International Relations at the Pharos University in Alexandria, Egypt. In addition, I am currently doing my PhD thesis in the faculty of Law at Cairo University in the same field, which is Public International Law.

I always had the belief that International Law is the voice of peace and a bridge for communication amongst human beings. From my perspective, the Peace Palace had always been the gate to this magical world of law, justice, and peace.

Taking in consideration our economic situation as a country, and also as girls in more conservative communities, being able to take this journey and to be part of such a prestigious, enriching experience was the realization of a dream.

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The three weeks I spent in The Hague were life changing in every possible way, as I was part of a very active community. I had the opportunity to attend a public hearing session at the International Court of Justice, combining it with a visit to their premises. Moreover, I was granted with access to use the resources of the Peace Palace library, which as a PhD student, it is a gift to be treasured.

In addition to all this, I had the opportunity to engage, learn, and be introduced to different perspectives, whether it belonged to students, professors, and judges from all around the world which constituted a huge source of knowledge and experience to me.

Finally, I would like to point out and reassure the importance of scholarships for us, girls in the Middle East, to pursue our academic and professional goals, because these funds are the a vital window of opportunity for us to see the world and voice our concerns and ideas. I believe that by investing in education, we are helping laying the foundations for a more peaceful world.

I sincerely thank the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation for choosing me and giving me this opportunity to express myself in the outer world. I am looking forward to keep learning, understanding, engaging, and voicing who we are and what we would like to achieve next.

Best Regards,

Hager Abdellatif