Practical
Thursday, 19 November, 2026 up to and including Friday, 20 November, 2026
- 08:00 until 17:00
VUB aan zee
Graaf De Smet de Naeyerlaan 4
8400 Oostende
Graaf De Smet de Naeyerlaan 4
8400 Oostende
€ 70 I Students are exempt from the registration fee, and can register by mail with stefano.cattelan@vub.be
Registration until
About the conference
The law of the sea is often presented as a relatively stable framework governing the use of maritime space. Yet the rules and concepts that underpin it emerged from centuries of conflict, negotiation and competing claims to the seas.
Contested Seas examines the historical processes through which maritime order was shaped between approximately 1400 and 1800. Bringing together scholars from legal history, international law, maritime history and related disciplines, the conference explores how war, commerce, diplomacy, sovereignty and jurisdiction influenced the development of maritime law.
The conference pays particular attention to the contested nature of the sea as a space of political and economic interaction. Contributions address questions of territoriality and freedom of the seas, maritime neutrality and diplomacy, prize and capture, port jurisdictions, Asian maritime sovereignty, shipboard order, maritime resources and the regulation of ocean space.
By bringing together different geographical perspectives and disciplinary approaches, the conference seeks to reconsider established narratives about the origins and development of the law of the sea.
Practical information
Date
19–20 November 2026
Location
Ostend, Belgium
Thursday 19 November
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
Jacobsenstraat 1
8400 Ostend
Friday 20 November
VUB aan Zee
Graaf De Smet de Naeyerlaan 4
8400 Ostend
The conference programme takes place across two venues in Ostend. The first day will be hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), while the second day will take place at VUB aan Zee.
The conference will include keynote lectures, plenary and parallel sessions, a closing roundtable and opportunities for informal exchange during the coffee breaks, reception and conference dinner.
Programme
The conference programme brings together 31 papers across plenary and parallel sessions, alongside keynote lectures and a closing roundtable.
Thursday 19 November – VLIZ
| Time | Session | ||
| 09:00–09:30 | Welcome and coffee | ||
| 09:30–11:00 | Session 1 – Plenary | ||
| 11:00–11:25 | Coffee break | ||
| 11:25–12:55 | Sessions 2 & 3 – Parallel | ||
| 12:55–13:45 | Lunch in situ | ||
| 13:45–15:15 | Sessions 4 & 5 – Parallel | ||
| 15:15–15:40 | Coffee break | ||
| 15:40–16:50 | Session 6 – Focused session | ||
| 16:50–17:15 | Coffee / transition break | ||
| 17:15–18:45 | Public keynote + reception | ||
| 19:30 | Dinner, Ostend centre |
Friday 20 November – VUB aan Zee
| Time | Session | ||
| 09:00–09:20 | Welcome and coffee | ||
| 09:20–09:30 | Welcoming | ||
| 09:30–10:45 | Keynote 2 | ||
| 10:45–11:10 | Coffee break | ||
| 11:10–12:40 | Session 7 – Plenary | ||
| 12:40–13:35 | Lunch in situ | ||
| 13:35–15:05 | Session 8 – Plenary | ||
| 15:05–15:30 | Coffee break | ||
| 15:30–17:00 | Sessions 9 & 10 – Parallel | ||
| 17:00–17:30 | Concluding words and outlook |