Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) College of Law Dean Atty. Brian Jay Corpuz has completed two internationally recognized academic programs after finishing the 2026 Summer Course in Public International Law at The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands and the Public Leadership Credential (PLC) program at Harvard Kennedy School in the United States.

Corpuz completed the Public International Law Summer Course from July 2 to 24 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, home to the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The program featured lectures on general, specialized, and emerging areas of international law delivered by judges of the International Court of Justice, legal scholars, jurists, and professors from leading law schools around the world.

He was among 10 Filipino legal scholars selected for the program, joining members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Philippine Judicial Academy, and other legal practitioners.

As part of the course, Corpuz visited several embassies and met with ambassadors and diplomats from Panama, Norway, Spain, and the Philippines to discuss legal education, geopolitics, ecotourism, and policy developments. He also observed proceedings at the International Criminal Court and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, where cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity, aggression, and other war crimes are heard.

Corpuz described the experience as "very enriching and humbling," adding that it opened opportunities to strengthen MMSU's internationalization efforts through potential collaborations in legal education and research with foreign law schools and legal experts.

The 2026 course marks the first year of a three-year sponsorship, with succeeding programs in Private International Law scheduled for 2027 and Directed Studies in 2028.

Earlier in June, Corpuz also completed the 10-month Public Leadership Credential program at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University's graduate school for public policy and governance.

The program, which ran from September 2025 to June 2026, brought together 85 government leaders from various countries who completed six intensive courses. Corpuz earned the program's highest normative mark, "Distinction," in five of the six courses.

The curriculum focused on policy design and delivery, evidence-based decision-making, and ethical public leadership.

For his capstone project, Corpuz proposed "Microcredentialing Legal Education in the Philippines as a Pathway for Cross-border Practice," which explores integrating stackable microcredentials into the country's Juris Doctor curriculum to align legal competencies with international standards and support cross-border legal practice.

Corpuz, who also serves as MMSU's Administrative Services Director, said the Harvard program broadened his perspective on public leadership and governance while challenging participants to develop solutions to complex public policy issues faced by countries worldwide.

As a PLC graduate, he also gains access to Harvard Kennedy School's global network of public leaders, opening opportunities for future international collaboration and academic exchanges. The credential may likewise be credited toward Harvard's Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program.