BLOOMINGTON, Ill. 鈥� Few undergraduate students can say they鈥檝e met with a sitting
prime minister for the sake of research. Celina El Ghossaini '26 did just that, connecting
with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as part of her 2025 Eckley Scholar project.
El Ghossaini, majoring in English-writing and philosophy, completed a project titled,
鈥淭he Need for International Civil Remedies: A Costly Gap in International Law.鈥� Her
research involved considerations of military necessity, noncombatant immunity and
International Court of Justice鈥檚 (ICJ) jurisdiction over transboundary harm. She primarily
studied works by international scholars Larry May, Michael Walzer and Alice Ollino.
By sending a cover letter and a proposal to Lebanese Prime Minister Salam, he granted El Ghossaini 30 minutes of his time for a one-on-one conversation.
鈥淒r. Salam and I spoke about possible methods of expanding civilian protections on an international level,鈥� said El Ghossaini. "He provided me with various cases from his time as a member and president of the ICJ, that show movement towards individual rights in the international sphere鈥�
The struggle of balancing state sovereignty and individual rights, internationally, was 鈥渆ye opening鈥� she said, as previously she had largely limited her thinking to the rights of individuals.
Throughout her project, El Ghossaini received guidance from Sally A. Firestone Professor in Peace and Social Justice and Professor of Political Science Jim Simeone. She said the faculty support helped her recognize gaps in her logic, and understand how her research may be received by readers.
鈥淥verall,鈥� El Ghossaini said, "the Eckley program granted me the chance to intensively grow over the course of a summer in a way I have not experienced before. This experience was foundational and certainly shaped the trajectory of my work in a way that is inimitable.鈥�
After Illinois Wesleyan, she plans to attend law school, pursuing a career in international law.
鈥淚 hope to use my research as a part of a larger project, likely a book, that addresses the lack of civil remedies currently available throughout international legal systems,鈥� El Ghossaini said. 鈥淭he Eckley Summer Scholarship is an opportunity I will forever be grateful for.鈥�
Established by the late IWU President Emeritus Robert Eckley and his wife Nell, the Eckley Summer Scholar program provides a stipend for each scholar to spend the summer conducting academic research or artistic activity under the mentorship of a faculty member. The program is designed to develop and deepen a student鈥檚 creative and research competencies.