CONFERENCE: Contested Seas: War, Commerce, and the Making of the Law of the Sea (c. 1400–1800) [Ostend: VUB aan Zee / VLIZ, 19–20 November 2026]

(image source: VUB)

The international conference “Contested Seas: War, Commerce, and the Making of the Law of the Sea (c. 1400–1800)” will take place on 19–20 November 2026 in Ostend, Belgium. Organised by Stefano Cattelan (Vrije Universiteit Brussel / Brussels School of Governance) and Frederik Dhondt (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), through the research group CORE in cooperation with the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the conference will bring together scholars from legal history, international law, maritime history, and related disciplines.

The conference seeks to examine the historical formation of the law of the sea between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, approaching it not as a coherent and established body of rules, but as a contested legal order shaped by maritime warfare, commercial rivalry, competing claims to sovereignty, and jurisdictional disputes.

Through plenary and parallel sessions, participants will explore a broad range of themes, including the historical foundations of maritime sovereignty, the principles of mare liberum and mare clausum, neutrality and seapower, maritime capture and prize jurisdiction, and the interaction of different legal traditions and practices across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Asian maritime worlds. Further discussions will address the evolution of maritime jurisdiction, the regulation of shipboard activities, and the historical foundations of contemporary ocean governance.

The programme features two keynote lectures:

• Prof. Indravati Hiltl-Félicité (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Beyond Mare Liberum: Empires and the Contest for Maritime Order – 19 November, 17:15–18:45.
• Prof. Surabhi Ranganathan (University of Cambridge, Lauterpacht Centre for International Law), Seeking Other Oceans – Chokepoints Past and Present – 20 November, 09:30–10:45.

The conference will be held at two venues in Ostend:

• 19 November: Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend.
• 20 November: VUB aan Zee, Graaf De Smet de Naeyerlaan 4, 8400 Ostend.

Registration is open until 18 November 2026. The registration fee is €70; students are exempt and can register by contacting stefano.cattelan@vub.be.

The registration form and details, as well as further information, are available on the official conference webpage. 

The detailed programme can also be consulted here (PDF).