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21 March 2003
Nus Law Faculty Initiates Collaboration With Key Asia-Pacific Law
Faculties To Launch The Asian Law Institute (ASLI)
The Faculty of Law at National University of
Singapore is collaborating with leading law faculties from the
Asia-Pacific region to launch the Asian Law Institute (ASLI) in
Singapore. The
NUS law school initiated this collaboration in light of the
evolution of legal practice from one that is principally domestic to
one that is more globally-oriented. At the same time, with the
increase in cross-border transactions and international investment,
a greater understanding of different legal traditions and cultures
is necessary as lawyers will have an important facilitative role to
play.
Said Associate Professor Tan Cheng Han, Dean of
the NUS Faculty of Law:“Law schools around the world face two major
challenges. The first is that with increased globalization, law
schools can no longer afford to take a narrow jurisdictional
approach to research and teaching. Secondly, increasing demands are
being placed on law schools as a result of rapid changes taking
place around the world, without a consequent increase in the
resources available to such law schools. The establishment of ASLI
represents a bold vision by its founder members to meet these twin
challenges. ASLI draws together some of the leading law schools in
Asia so as to facilitate research and teaching that
transcend single jurisdictions. ASLI will also provide a framework
within which there can be some pooling of resources to the mutual
benefit of all the law schools involved.”
The Working Group on the Legal Services Sector
of the Economic Review Committee had also recommended the setting up
of an Institute of Asian Legal Studies in
Singapore and
increasing legal research in Asian law and other comparative legal
systems. The establishment of ASLI goes a long way towards achieving
this recommendation.
Representatives from the following law schools
have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday, 21 March 2003, at City Hall Chambers:
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Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University;
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East China University of Politics and Law;
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Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia;
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Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic
University of Malaysia;
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Faculty of Law, Kyushu University;
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Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore;
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College of Law, National Taiwan University;
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Faculty of Law, Peking University; and
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College of Law, University of the Philippines
The goal of ASLI is to facilitate collaboration
in teaching and research among the law professors of these
universities. It is envisaged that each year, law professors from
the ASLI member universities will spend up to 3 months at NUS where
they will meet other ASLI colleagues from the region (and from NUS).
These professors will spend their time in NUS engaged in
collaborative research as well as conduct joint teaching. It is also
envisaged that the collaboration will lead to an annual academic
conference. The first conference is expected in 2004 in Singapore
and subsequent conferences may be hosted by other ASLI members. ASLI
also hopes to facilitate exchanges of law student among the
different universities.
To launch ASLI, delegates from the partner
universities will attend meetings all day at the NUS on Friday, 21
March 2003. On the same day in the evening, there will be an
official launch at the City Hall Chamber. The programme for the
evening is attached. Guests include:
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Singapore’s Chief Justice Mr Yong Pung How and members of
the Judiciary
High Commissioners and Ambassadors;
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Singapore's Attorney-General Mr Chan Sek Keong, who is also
a member of the NUS Law Faculty's Steering Committee;
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NUS President Professor Shih Choon Fong and NUS Provost
Professor Chong Chi Tat;
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Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Professor Tommy Koh, who is
Chairman of the NUS Law Faculty’s Steering Committee;
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1st Solicitor-General Mr Chan Seng Onn; and
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the Vice President of the Singapore Law Society and other
academic staff of the National University of Singapore.
For more information, please contact:
Associate Professor Gary F. Bell
Faculty of Law, NUS
Tel: 6874 3635
E-mail: garybell@nus.edu.sg
Ms Khoo Bee Hoon
Media Officer
Corporate Communications/Media
National University of Singapore
Tel: (65) 6874-1526 / E-mail:
uprkbh@nus.edu.sg |
