Until her retirement in 2023, Marie Jacobsson was an ambassador and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Legal Adviser on International Law. From 2007 to 2016, she was a member of the UN International Law Commission and Special Rapporteur on the Protection of the Environment in relation to Armed Conflicts. Throughout her career, she has been deeply committed to issues relating to the sea and security. Over the years, she has also collaborated with the WMU.
On 13 June 2025, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the Faculty of Law at Lund University signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their joint research and teaching collaboration in maritime law and maritime policy, security, maritime issues and protection of the marine environment.
The award was presented at WMU's annual graduation ceremony on 1 November 2025.