Pham Van Dong University and Nha Trang University will co-organise an International Workshop titled “Legal status of islands and rocks in international law and practice in the East Sea” on August 17^th-18^th 2016 – Trường Đại học Phạm Văn Đồng phối hợp với trường Đại học Nha Trang đồng tổ chức Hội thảo quốc tế với chủ đề “Quy chế pháp lý của đảo, đá trong luật quốc tế và thực tiễn ở khu vực Biển Đông” từ ngày 17-18/8/2016 tại Thành phố Nha Trang, tỉnh Khánh Hòa.

 At InterContinental Hotel in Nha Trang City, Vietnam. This event follows the successful international workshops on “The sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly archipelagos: Historical and Legal Aspects” held on April 27^th-28^th 2013 in Quang Ngai City and “Paracel - Spratly Archipelagos: Historical Truth” held June 19^th-21^th 2014 in Da Nang City.

There will be around 80-100 participants including international and Vietnamese scholars, researchers, who are experts on issues related to the South China Sea. The workshop will focus on the following topics: Legal status of islands and rocks in conformity with the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and with other sources of international law; The Arbitration Award on the case between Philippines and China over their dispute in the South China Sea; Sovereignty dispute over the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos.

In addition to the workshop, we will cooperate with the Institute of Oceanography to present an exhibition titled “Historical Evidences of Vietnam sovereignty over Spratly and Paracel archipelagos” at the main hall of the hotel during the workshop and at the Museum of Oceanography. Especially, we will either organize a trip to Cam Ranh Naval Base or a cruise in Nha Trang Bay in the morning of August 18^th.