THE Center for International Law (CenterLaw) Executive Director Romel Regalado Bagares has been awarded a prestigious fellowship by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of France under its “Programme d’invitation des personnalités d’avenir” ( Invitation Program for Personalities of the Future)
The program, run by the ministry’s Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’analyse et de prévision), selects young prominent personalities ranging from 25 to 40 years of age from all over the world who have spent little or no time in France, but who have a growing influence on their country’s affairs or on their country’s relations with France. With the award, the CenterLaw Executive Director joins the circle of about 220 personalities from Asia and Oceania who had already been granted the fellowship.
“The Program provides future elites with a real knowledge of France, based on contact with people in their professional fields and areas of interests,” said Mr. Didier Ortolland, First Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission of the French Embassy in Manila.” It also fosters the exchange of ideas and enables participants to forge special relationships with France.”
Mr. Bagares has bachelor’s degrees in communication research (1994) and law (2003) from the University of the Philippines and a master’s in international legal theory from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2007, cum laude). He teaches public and private international law at the Lyceum Philippines University College of Law and is a Senior Associate at the Roque and Butuyan Law Offices. Before joining the field of law, he worked as a newspaper reporter for the English-language daily the Philippine Star for eight years.
The International Visitor Leadership Program allows the awardee eight to ten days of intensive, customized studies of his own choosing in France, ranging from institutions, international relations, political life to social and economic issues.
Mr. Bagares, a 36-year old lawyer and native of General Santos City, explored the French system of human rights protections and institutions, judiciary, media, transportation and energy sectors during a week-long all-expenses-paid visit to Paris and its neighboring environs from April 11 to 18, 2010.
Since it started in 1989, over 1200 accomplished professionals from over 40 countries have benefitted from the French international visitor leadership program.