معرفی
Catherine Blanchard serves as Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the Department of International and European Law, Utrecht University School of Law. Her academic career is deeply rooted in international environmental law with a specialized focus on ocean governance, particularly addressing legal frameworks for deep-sea mining, marine biodiversity conservation, and fisheries management beyond national jurisdiction.
Dr. Blanchard earned her civil law degree (LL.L, summa cum laude, 2012) and bachelor degree in international development and globalization (B.Sc.Soc Hon DVM, summa cum laude, 2012) from the University of Ottawa, Canada. She completed her Juris Doctor from Dalhousie University (JD, 2013), followed by a master's degree in Public International Law from Utrecht University (LL.M., cum laude, 2015). She received her PhD in Public International Law from Utrecht University in 2020, with research exploring integrated oceans governance approaches for international fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Her research interests concentrate on the law of the sea, international environmental law, deep-sea ecosystem management, legal regimes for areas beyond national jurisdiction, international fisheries law, and environmental governance studies. Dr. Blanchard employs multidisciplinary approaches to examine stakeholder engagement and policy development in marine resource management. Her work bridges legal theory with practical environmental challenges, particularly focusing on the governance frameworks needed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems while balancing resource exploitation needs.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on deep-sea mining governance, the BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty), and Earth System Law. Her scholarly output demonstrates increasing engagement with the International Seabed Authority's regulatory framework and the intersection between environmental protection and resource extraction in international waters. She has developed expertise in area-based management tools for protecting hydrothermal vents and other unique deep-sea ecosystems.
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) Research Talent Grant
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Grant
Dr. Blanchard actively supervises master's theses, having guided 8 students during the 2022-2023 academic year and 7 students in 2020-2021. Her grant funding has supported significant research projects, including the multidisciplinary project 'Protecting deep seabed hydrothermal vent fields through area-based management tools' (July 2021 to October 2023). She serves as legal advisor to the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) delegation attending International Seabed Authority Council meetings and co-convener of the Task Force on Earth System Law within the Earth System Governance Project.
Dr. Blanchard collaborates extensively across institutions, having worked with the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, Germany, and contributed to Dutch delegations in international negotiations. Her work connects legal scholarship with practical policy development through her active participation in international conferences and workshops focused on ocean sustainability.
