Conference opening ceremony – CEREMONIAL HALL
Monday 21 September – 10:00am
STRAND II – DRAKOPOULOS AMPHITHEATRE
Monday 21 September – 13:30pm
STRAND I – ARGYRIADIS AMPHITHEATRE
Tuesday 22 September – 09:00am
STRAND II – DRAKOPOULOS AMPHITHEATRE
Tuesday 22 September – 09:00am
Closing ceremony – CEREMONIAL HALL
Tuesday 22 September – 17:30pm
CEREMONIAL HALL
09.30-10.00 – Registration
10.00-10.30 – Welcome
Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor James Kraska, Charles H. Stockton Chair of International Maritime Law, US Naval War College
Professor Ronán Long, Director, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, Nippon Foundation Professorial Chair of Ocean Governance & the Law of the Sea, World Maritime University – WMU
Dr Dionyssia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, MP, President, Parliamentary Committee on the Environment, The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Oceans
Professor Maria Gavouneli, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
10.30-11.30 – Keynote address
Maritime Security in a regional context: The Mediterranean
Ms Dora Bakoyannis, MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs, fm Minister of Foreign Affairs
11.30-12.30 – Networking and bilateral meetings
12.30-13.30 – Lunch break
VR Simulation Demonstration: Enhancing Maritime Education through Immersive Learning
Dr Abhay Singh Thakur, Director (I/C), School of Maritime Law, Policy and Administration, Gujarat Maritime University
STRAND I – ARGYRIADIS AMPHITHEATRE
13.30-15.00 – Panel IA: Setting the scene: Maritime Security in the 21st century
Maritime security is increasingly shaped by developments beyond regional boundaries as the security of NATO and the European Union becomes ever more interconnected with maritime stability in East Asia
Chair: Professor Pete Pedrozo, Stockton Center for International Law, US Naval War College
Dr Young Kil Park, Research Fellow, Korea Maritime Institute – ΚΜΙ
Mr Hideshi Tokuchi, Board Director, The Japan Institute of International Affairs – JIIA
Professor Jacqueline Joyce F. Espenilla, Associate Professor, University of the Philippines College of Law
Professor Rob McLaughlin, Australian National University
Rapporteur: Ms Sofia Zanin, Consultant, Challenger Research Ltd.
15.00-15.30 – Coffee Break
15.30-17.00 – Panel IIA: Contemporary challenges to maritime security – The shadow fleet
The growing use of shadow fleets presents significant challenges to maritime security, sanctions enforcement, and international governance, prompting states and international organizations to strengthen efforts to identify and counter substandard and sanctioned vessels
Chair: Professor Alex Oude Elferink, Director, Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea – NILOS & School of Law, Utrecht University
Professor David Letts, University of Wollongong
Professor Richard Kilpatrick, Associate Professor, William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Ms Michelle Wiese Bockmann, Senior Maritime Intelligence Analyst, Windward Consultancy
Professor Kristina Siig, University of Aalborg
Rapporteur: Dr Adel Asrawi Elias, IMO International Maritime Law Institute – IMLI
17.00-17.30 – Coffee Break
17.30-19.00 – Panel IIIA: Maritime Security and the IMO
As maritime security challenges become more complex and interconnected, the International Maritime Organization remains central to the development of effective global regulatory and governance frameworks
Chair: Professor Ronán Long, Director, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, Nippon Foundation Professorial Chair of Ocean Governance & the Law of the Sea, World Maritime University – WMU
The IMO Legal Committee work on contemporary maritime security threats and fraudulent ship registration
Dr Dorota Lost-Siemińska, Director, Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, IMO
The development of the concept of maritime security from the perspective of the IMO
Professor Atsuko Kanehara, Research Director, Canon Institute for Global Studies & Senior Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Shipping under pressure: Managing maritime operations and investments in an era of expanding compliance obligations
Mr George C. Xiradakis, President, Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping; CEO, XTRC Ltd
Protecting the Ship, the Seafarer and the Signal: The IMO’s recent Regulatory Practice against Contemporary Maritime Security Threats
Dr Sanjeet Ruhal, The Nippon Foundation Lecturer, IMO International Maritime Law Institute – IMLI
Rapporteur: Ms Akrita Kaur, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
STRAND II – DRAKOPOULOS AMPHITHEATRE
13.30-15.00 – Panel IB: Maritime security aspects of ocean resources and biodiversity
The sustainable use of ocean resources and the protection of marine biodiversity are becoming increasingly important as states, international organisations, and industry seek to balance economic development, environmental stewardship, and maritime security
Chair: Professor George Theocharidis, World Maritime University
Beyond catching the vessel: IUU fishing and the emerging architecture of maritime security in the Mediterranean
Professor Kübra Var Türk, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Ankara Üniversitesi
Dr Vicky Tzatzaki, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Due diligence in contested waters: Baseline obligation for protecting maritime security and equitable utilization of ocean resources in the Mediterranean
Ms Dominique Virgil, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia
Open registries, AIS integrity and maritime security risks to ocean resources and biodiversity
Professor Orestis Schinas, University of the Aegean
Rapporteur: Ms Milagros Varela, Inspector Officer, Maritime Security, European Commission
15.00-15.30 – Coffee Break
15.30-17.00 – Panel IIB: Litigating Maritime Security
As maritime security disputes become more complex, courts and tribunals play an increasingly important role in clarifying legal obligations and resolving competing claims
Chair: Professor Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, fm President, European Court of Human Rights
Professor Alina Miron, University of Angers
Litigation and protection of the crew
Ms Penelope Nevill, Barrister, Twenty Essex, London
The ITLOS Seabed Dispute Chamber: A sui generis litigation
Professor Niki Aloupi, Université Paris 2 Panthéon Assas
Procedural challenges and opportunities in maritime security litigation
Nikiforos Panagis, Legal Officer, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea – ITLOS
Professor Mariko Kawano, Waseda University School of Law
Rapporteur: Dr Nikolas Voulgaris, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
17.00-17.30 – Coffee Break
17.30-19.00 – Panel IIIB: Challenges to connectivity: Choke points, value chains and shipping
The security and resilience of maritime trade routes, global supply chains, and strategic chokepoints are increasingly important in an era of geopolitical tensions and economic interdependence
Chair: Leonidas Dimitriades Eugenides, IMO Maritime Ambassador, President & CEO, Eugenides Group
Professor Lia Athanassiou, ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations – CEACR, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor Dimitris Gavalas, Associate Professor, Department of Port Management and Shipping, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Connectivity challenges due to the new EU climate requirements
Dr Giorgos Dikaios, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc Fellow, University of Leiden
Typology of Security Threats to Shipping in Europe’s Southeastern Neighbourhood
Plamen Tonchev, Head of Asia Unit, Institute of International Economic Relations – IIER
Rapporteur: Mr Angelos Bozios, University of Hamburg
THE NKUA COURTYARD
19.00-21.00 – Welcome reception
STRAND I – ARGYRIADIS AMPHITHEATRE
09.00-10.30 – Panel IVA: Maritime security aspects of ocean observation systems, marine scientific research, robotics and AI
Advances in ocean observation systems, marine scientific research, robotics, and artificial intelligence are transforming maritime domain awareness while raising important questions regarding data sovereignty, governance, and security in the maritime domain
Chair: Professor Aleke Stofen-O’Brien, Associate Professor, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
The Jurisprudence of MSR: Biologging data, detection & dominion
Professor Tafsir Matin Johansson, Associate Professor, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
Exploring extreme marine environments: Hydrothermal systems, data, and discovery
Professor Paraskevi (Evi) Nomikou, National & Kapodistrian University
Deputy Commander Melissa Desjardins, Combined Task Force 154, Combined Maritime Forces, Canadian Armed Forces
Marine Biodiversity and Bathymetry Data: The Frontier of Maritime Security
Professor Aspasia Pastra, Assistant Professor, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
Rapporteur: Commander Jesús Menacho Piérola, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
10.30-11.00 – Coffee Break
11.00-12.30 – Panel VA: Legal Processes in the Law of the Sea
States increasingly pursue their interests in the law of the sea through international institutions, courts, tribunals, and other legal processes, reinforcing the importance of rules-based mechanisms for resolving maritime disputes
Chair: Professor Erik Franckx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Ms Lea Kolmos Weis, Practice Area Counsel, Advokat (L), Gorrissen Federspiel
Dr Tom Grant, Senior Fellow, Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge
Professor Aslıhan Erbaş Açıkel, Associate Professor, Kadir Has University
Professor Maiko Raita, Associate Professor, Osaka University Law School
Rapporteur: Ms. Aslı Başol, Tohoku University Graduate School of Law
12.30-14.00 – Lunch break
VR Simulation Demonstration: Enhancing Maritime Education through Immersive Learning
Dr. Abhay Singh Thakur, Director (I/C), School of Maritime Law, Policy and Administration, Gujarat Maritime University
Networking and bilateral meetings
14.00-15.30 – Panel VIA: Law of Naval Warfare
The law of naval warfare operates as lex specialis during armed conflict at sea, shaping how belligerent and neutral rights, maritime zones, targeting, capture, blockade, and other naval operations are applied in the unique legal and operational environment of the ocean
Chair: CDR Sara Neugroschel, US Naval War College
Professor Dale Stephens, University of Adelaide Law School
Professor Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg, Europa-Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder)
Professor S. Shanthakumar, Provost, Gujarat Maritime University – GMU & Director, Gujarat National Law University
Mr Tomoyuki Yoshida, Chief Executive Director, The Japan Institute of International Affairs – JIIA
Rapporteur: Mr Quinten DeGroote, Ghent University
15.30-15.45 – Coffee Break
15.45-17.15 – Panel VIIA: Marine technology and infrastructure
Technological innovation is accelerating the digital transformation of the maritime sector, with autonomous systems, smart infrastructure, and advanced technologies reshaping maritime security operations
Chair: Lt(N) Jin Shin, Combined Maritime Forces, Canadian Armed Forces
Drones as an emerging threat for the maritime domain: Kinetic v Direct Energy Solutions
Professor Dimitrios Dalaklis, World Maritime University
Exploring Knowledge and Capacity Readiness to Counter Naval Blockades and Maritime Route Closures in the Interaction Military-Civilian Obligations: A Harsh Reality or a Wake-Up Call for Navigation of Risky Waters?
Dr Adriana Ávila-Zúñiga Nordfjeld, Senior Lecturer, Swedish Defence University
The Past, Present and Future of Ocean Observation: Submarine Cables and Cabled Ocean Observatories in the Mediterranean and Multilateral Frontiers
Professor Tafsir Matin Johansson Associate Professor, & Suriya Sundararajan, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
The protection of submarine cables and pipelines within and beyond the UNCLOS framework
Professor Kentaro Nishimoto, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, University of Tokyo
Rapporteur: Mr Ilias Diamantopoulos, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
STRAND II – DRAKOPOULOS AMPHITHEATRE
09.00-10.30 – Panel IVB: Maritime security and critical infrastructure
Critical maritime infrastructure, including ports, offshore installations, and submarine cables, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to physical and cyber threats with potentially far-reaching consequences
Chair: Dr Elena Lazarou, Director-General, Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy – ELIAMEP
Dr Thanos Dokos, Secretary General for National Security, Hellenic Republic
Regulating a gap? – The ILA Vienna Conclusions on Monitoring, Prevention and Response at Sea in Respect of Intentional Damage to Submarine Cables and Pipelines
Professor Maria Gavouneli, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor Norihito Samata, Musashino University
Kent Bressie, Legal adviser, International Cable Protection Committee Partner and Head of International Practice, HWG LLP
Developing national processes for maritime security
Dr Brian Wilson, Captain (Rt), US Navy
Rapporteur: Aakarsh Banyal, University of Oxford
10.30-11.00 – Coffee Break
11.00-12.30 – Panel VB: Human maritime security: The challenge of migration
Migration remains one of the major challenges on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea, raising complex humanitarian, legal, and security issues
Chair: Professor Photini Pazartzis, Director, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
The human side of maritime security: Recent developments
Professor Irini Papanicolopulu, School of Oriental and African Studies – SOAS, University of London
Professor Markos Karavias, Assistant Professor, University of Piraeus
Ms Laura Lo Castro, UNHCR Representative Greece
Professor Sofia Galani, Associate Professor, Panteion University
Rapporteur: Dr Maria-Louiza Deftou, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
12.30-14.00 – Lunch Break
Networking and bilateral meetings
14.00-15.30 – Panel VIB: Maritime security implications of extreme weather, oceanographic events and environmental change
Extreme weather, oceanographic events, and environmental change are reshaping maritime security by disrupting navigation, infrastructure, resource access, and coastal stability, while creating new operational, legal, and governance challenges for states and maritime stakeholders
Chair: Ambassador Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake, Sri Lanka
Professor Beatriz Martinez Romera, Head, Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance – CLIMA, University of Copenhagen
The establishment of area-based management tools to address environmental threats: The case of the Hellenic Trench in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Dr Sophia Kopela, Democritus University of Thrace
Offshore wind power in contested East Asian waters: Reconciling renewable energy transitions with maritime boundary delimitation, navigation, and hybrid maritime security
Professor Seokwoo Lee, Inha University Law School
Protecting Submarine Cables from Natural and Geopolitical Risks: Investment Resilience as an Emerging Analytical Framework
Professor Thomas Nektarios Papanastasiou, Associate Professor, School of Law, UNIC Athens – University of Nicosia
Rapporteur: Suriya Sundararajan, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute
15.30-15.45 – Coffee Break
15.45-17.15 – Panel VIIB: Compliance and enforcement issues in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
A round-table discussion on topical and critical issues of compliance and enforcement in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction organized by the UNODC Maritime Crime Programme
Chair: Giuseppe Sernia, Programme Coordinator, Global Maritime Crime Programme – GMCP, UN Office on Drugs and Crime – UNODC
Niels Peters Williams, Programme Officer, Global Maritime Crime Programme, UNODC
Ms Priyal Bunwaree, Barrister & Senior Legal Counsel, Blue Marine Foundation
Professor Eva van der Marel, Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea, University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway
Professor Efthymios (Akis) Papastavridis, Assistant Professor, School of Law & Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Rapporteur: Dimitris Panousos, European University Institute – EUI
CEREMONIAL HALL
17.30-18.30 – Farewell debate: Maritime security in an uncertain world
Chair: Professor Petros Liacouras, University of Piraeus
Professor James Kraska, Charles H. Stockton Chair of International Maritime Law, US Naval War College
Professor Ronán Long, Director, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, Nippon Foundation Professorial Chair of Ocean Governance & the Law of the Sea, World Maritime University – WMU
Professor Maria Gavouneli, Athens PIL, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor Yücel Acer, National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law – DEHUKAM, University of Ankara
Rapporteur: Dimitris Panousos, European University Institute – EUI
18.30-19.00 – Closing ceremony
DIONYSOS ZONAR’S RESTAURANT
20.00-22.30 – Formal dinner