Acknowledgements
The writing of this book has been deeply intertwined with my personal and academic journey over the past seven years. Its publication would not have been possible without the invaluable support, guidance, and encouragement of many individuals and institutions to whom I am deeply grateful. My fascination with international legal history was first ignited during my undergraduate studies at the University of Trento, where I had the privilege of writing my masterâs thesis under the guidance of Professors Diego Quaglioni and Giuliano Marchetto. What began as an initial exploration evolved into my Ph.D. dissertation, which I defended in December 2020 at the Department of Law, Aarhus University. I am especially grateful to my colleagues in Denmark for fostering a stimulating working environment, and in particular to my supervisors, Professors Per Andersen and Torsten Iversen, for their meticulous feedback of each chapter and for granting me the freedom to pursue my interests. I am also indebted to Professor Ole Terkelsen, who offered me the opportunity to teach international law alongside him. During my Ph.D., I was fortunate to spend valuable months at Tilburg Law School and at the University of Bergen. I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Professors Randall Lesaffer, Jørn Ãyrehagen Sunde, and Sören Koch for their warm hospitality, insightful discussions, and sound methodological guidance.
During my postdoctoral research at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, working closely with Professor Frederik Dhondt has been a constant source of inspiration, shaping my scholarship in more ways than I could possibly convey. Through his example, I have been exposed to the highest standards of our discipline, and I am grateful not only for his mentorship but also for the friendship that has grown from our collaboration. I am also thankful to Professor Louis Sicking for his friendship and for sharing his expertise and keen insights, and to Professors Luisa Brunori and Stefania Gialdroni for their generous hospitality during my research stays in Paris and Padua, respectively, which coincided with the pivotal revision stage of this bookâs manuscript. Regarding the publication process, I would like to thank Petra Stiglmayer and Alessandra Giliberto at Brill for their professionalism, patience, and kindness, as well as the two anonymous reviewers, whose thoughtful and constructive feedback certainly enhanced the final manuscript. I am also grateful to Professor Randall Lesaffer, editor of this series, for his support and encouragement throughout the publication process.
I am deeply appreciative of the generous financial support provided by Aarhus University, the Carlsberg Foundation (Denmark, Internationalisation Grant cf 21-0367), the core research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and the Research Foundation Flanders (fwo, Junior Fundamental Research Project G016122N). Their funding has allowed me to pursue this research under the best possible conditions, enabling me to present my work at international conferences around the world â from the Azores and Iceland to South Korea and Japan â where I was fortunate to forge lasting academic and personal connections. I would like to thank in particular Dr Ubaldo Morozzi, Dr Simone Maria Bonin, Dr Raphael Cahen, Professor Lukasz Dziedzic, Dr Andrea Longo, and Dr Daniel Ricardo Villamarin Quiroga for their friendship and for stimulating exchanges on certain aspects of the book. I also thank my students at the Brussels School of Governance for making the course âInternational Legal History and Theoryâ such an enjoyable subject to teach and for being a constant source of inspiration. I am equally grateful to Professor Kristin Henrard, programme director of the
On a personal note, I am profoundly grateful to my family and all my friends for their support during this journey, and for reminding me to take breaks when needed. Their encouragement, humour, and understanding have been invaluable. I am particularly grateful to my high school and university friends, who have always made me feel at home whenever I return to Italy â reminding me that distance is merely a matter of geography. I also cherish the friendships I have made along the way during this academic journey, and my colleagues at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, who make every day at the office thoroughly enjoyable. Finally, I owe special thanks to my parents, Anna and Francesco, and to my sister, Silvia, for nurturing my intellectual curiosity from an early age and for their unwavering love and belief in me through every challenge and success. They have always reminded me that life is larger than academic pursuits, encouraging balance, joy, and perspective. This book is, in many ways, a reflection of the values they instilled in me, and I am endlessly grateful for that.
Stefano Cattelan
Ixelles, 10 March 2025