Professor Shan Wenhua (R), dean of XJTU's School of Law, presents Thomas Heidar with his appointment letter.

Thomas Heidar, judge and president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), visited Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) for academic exchanges and was appointed as a Marco Polo Fellow of XJTU's Silk Road Institute for International and Comparative Law (SRIICL)/"Belt and Road" Institute of International Rule of Law.

Heidar highly commended the School of Law's recent developments and academic influence, particularly in international and comparative law, stating that this appointment is both an honor and a responsibility and that he plans to promote academic cooperation and exchanges between ITLOS and XJTU.

Heidar delivered a lecture titled "Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea and the Role and Jurisprudence of ITLOS," sharing insights into the dispute settlement mechanisms under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and recent high-profile cases handled by ITLOS.

During the Q&A session, he answered questions from faculty and students on treaty interpretation and application, sources of international law, and marine environmental protection and preservation.

The Marco Polo Fellow (for Western scholars) and Zheng He Fellow (for Asian or Asian-descent scholars) are prestigious honorary research fellowships established by SRIICL/"Belt and Road" Institute of International Rule of Law.

Since 2006, more than 10 leading scholars from around the world have been appointed, further enhancing research standards, strengthening international influence, and promoting high-level academic exchanges.