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As technology develops and more of modern life takes place online, the demand for legal researchers is increasing, say City University of Hong Kong (CityU) academics.
“The need for research is not exclusive to universities and research institutes,” says Tianxiang He, programme director of the Master of Laws (LLM) at CityU. “Law firms and commercial institutions also need to conduct research that suits their needs, especially nowadays. There are many legal issues, for example, relating to the internet and high technologies.”
CityU’s LLM programme helps students develop a “different mindset” that allows them to bridge the gap between trained lawyers and future researchers. This mindset goes beyond arguing a client’s case but “is about solving a legal issue, a research mindset”. “The LLM programme aims to bring students to the next level to provide them with the tools to, for example, decipher the rules to understand legal failure, how to solve problems for which the law cannot render a satisfactory answer,” says He.
This broad perspective is vital in today’s technologically developed, internationally connected world. “We do a lot of international arbitration, so we’re not just focusing on one jurisdiction but multiple jurisdictions,” says Christopher To, programme director of the Master of Laws in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution at CityU.
Such skills are particularly important in a place like Hong Kong, which is a crucible of diversity, the base of numerous multinational companies, and a bridge between China and Western economies.
To cater to this need, the CityU School of Law’s LLM programme offers several streams, allowing students to specialise in different areas. “We provide them with a tailor-made set of courses for them, along with cutting-edge research skills,” says He. These streams include Chinese and comparative law, common law, intellectual property and technology law, international economic law, and corporate and financial law.
Guest lecturers and seminars allow “our students to constantly update their knowledge of cutting-edge legal methodologies”, says He. “For example, we offer a course on law and technology, in which experts from different fields present their research on specific law and tech topics, such as fintech and artificial intelligence.”
Students also have the option of working on a dissertation alongside top scholars. “The supervisor will instruct the student on writing skills and research methods,” says He.
Many aspects of the LLM programme, including assessment, have migrated online, says To. Such digitalisation empowers lifelong learning by allowing those who work full-time to continue with further study and upskill throughout their careers.
Cultural sensitivity is one of the most crucial skills researchers need and is emphasised during the LLM. “You have to adapt to different cultures,” says To. “If you’re too aggressive, people [in some cultures] will shy away from you. If you’re providing your services to multiple jurisdictions, you have to be conscious of how different jurisdictions operate from a cultural perspective.” Such understanding will ultimately make graduates more employable and better able to engage with a diversity of stakeholders.
about the CityU School of Law.
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