Marasi 30

IN-DEPTH
Professor Jason Chuah
Head of Department and Professor of
Commercial and Maritime Law, The City Law School
Launched for the first time in the region
Masters in Maritime Law seeks to
solidify UAE maritime education
By Effat Mostafa
Introduction of LLM programme will fill gap in UAE maritime education,
unify industry and enhance country’s stance as main shipping hub
The City Law School and the Dubai International Financial
Centre (DIFC) Academy of Law have announced a joint
venture to launch the region’s first specialized Masters in
Maritime Law (LLM). Set to begin in early 2019 in Dubai,
this programme is intended for law graduates, lawyers and
working professionals across the maritime sector; such as
ships’ officers, shipbrokers and claims handlers.
With the UAE’s maritime sector rapidly advancing, the
industry has yet to find permanency in maritime education.
Professor Jason Chuah, Head of Department and
Professor of Commercial and Maritime Law, The City Law
School, part of City, University of London, aims to further
reinforce UAE maritime education through this new programme.
Chuah stated: “Much like we see in London and
Singapore, concentrating on training people who believe
they have a stake in this country will develop the consistency
that this industry needs.”
Delivered by academics from the City Law School alongside
legal practitioners and occasional specialist lecturers,
the LLM programme will consist of four modules with
a focus on topics such as shipping contracts, insurance,
admiralty practice, international sale of goods, and commercial
arbitration. Taught at the Academy’s DIFC campus
over intensive weekend blocks, the flexible programme is
designed to enable students to fit their studies around
full-time professional commitments.
Filling the industry’s gap
With strong legal professional training programmes, individuals
qualifying as lawyers in the region is sufficient,
but with maritime serving as a primary driver of economy,
a high need for specialists is growing increasingly relevant.
Consequently, a genuine commitment to educating both
the current and up-and-coming generation is underway to
ensure the UAE government agenda to maintain the country
position as a competitive maritime hub.
When asked to elaborate on the rationale behind the
postgraduate programme, Chuah clarified, “Today we live
in a globalized world and networked society. Sectors such
48 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018