Faced with increasingly complex legal issues and the growing internationalization of law, the Judicial Training Center (CFJ) and the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences (FSJP) at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) have decided to combine their expertise. The two institutions signed a specific agreement on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Dakar, concerning the creation of two specialized Master's programs: one in International Criminal Justice and the other in the Protection of Vulnerable Persons and Children. This initiative aims to equip Senegal with high-level expertise capable of meeting the demands of a modern justice system and strengthening the country's influence in international legal debates.

For Souleymane Teliko, Director General of the CFJ, these new training programs respond to "imperatives that are particularly pressing for us." According to him, the choice of these two tracks stems from a clear-eyed understanding of the current challenges facing the justice system.

"Contemporary justice requires professionals capable of navigating between domestic law and international instruments, of understanding the mechanisms for repressing the most serious crimes, but also of protecting vulnerable people with the rigor that the rule of law demands," he said.

The magistrate also emphasized the complementarity between the two institutions. "The CFJ trains practitioners. The FSJP trains lawyers. Together, we can train professionals who combine scientific mastery of the law with an understanding of concrete situations," he argued.

In his view, this cooperation also has a strategic dimension. "Training high-level experts in international criminal law and child protection here on our soil is to affirm that Senegal intends to have a say in the normative debates that shape the global law of tomorrow," stated Souleymane Teliko.

The Rector of UCAD, Professor Alioune Badara Kandji, welcomed a collaboration that reflects the commitment of both institutions to developing excellent training programs, promoting scientific research, and intensifying publications and joint academic activities.

According to him, this cooperation responds to a necessity imposed by the increasing complexity of legal issues, the ever-growing expectations of citizens, and the changes brought about by new technologies. He also advocated for a lasting partnership between academia and practitioners in order to offer more demanding training programs that are in line with contemporary realities.

Through these two new Masters, the CFJ and UCAD intend to strengthen the professionalization of lawyers and magistrates while affirming Senegal's ambition to become a center of reference in specialized legal training in Africa.