On 11 September 2026, Olena Nihreieva, Distinguished Professor at the University of Cádiz under the Beatriz Galindo Grant Programme, successfully defended her second doctoral thesis, which received the International Distinction. The defence was conducted in three languages —English, Spanish, and Italian — reflecting the international and comparative character of the research.

Entitled “International Law and the Exploitation of Natural Resources of Occupied Territories at Sea: With a Comparative Perspective on the Cases of Palestine, Western Sahara and Ukraine”, the thesis develops a comprehensive legal framework governing the exploitation of natural resources in occupied maritime territories. It draws on the complementary application of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international environmental law, and the law of the sea. The theoretical framework is examined through a comparative study of three situations of prolonged occupation: Palestine, Western Sahara, and Ukraine.

The thesis was supervised by Full Professor of the Department of International Law, Dr. Alejandro del Valle Gálvez.

The examining committee comprised Dr. Giuseppe Cataldi of the University of Naples, Dr. Juan Soroeta Liceras of the University of the Basque Country, and Dr. Ángeles Jiménez García-Carriazo of the University of Cádiz.

Following the defense, the committee awarded the thesis the highest possible grade, Summa cum laude.