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Ailyn Agonia
Doha
"WE are interested in developing more Qataris as legal academics in the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) College of Law and Public Policy," said Founding Dean Clinton W Francis.
In an interview with Qatar Tribune recently, the top official stressed the importance of bringing in Qataris into their roster of faculty to benefit from their local values and knowledge that could further boost the curriculum of the College's Juris Doctor (JD) programme which is only in its second year.
The JD programme, a three-year postgraduate programme and the first of its kind in the MENA region, has attracted a number of professionals in Qatar from various disciplines since it was launched last year. The unique programme targets individuals who already hold an undergraduate degree, which can be in any subject even law.
The College's Dean added that about 70 percent of their students are Qataris coming from diverse professional backgrounds such as engineering, banking, business and the government sector.
"We hope that this demand from Qataris and other regional students will continue. The JD programme uses a world-class standard that meets Qatari and regional needs. We try to make the programme comparative so that it is not simply a clone of a programme from North America or Europe but tailored to the kind of legal practices that they would have here. The goal is to be able to graduate outstanding students who have had work experience and combine their disciplines with law. We had a class that very much met that. I would like to think that a strong majority of them (students) are viewing the programme as a vehicle for career change. While a small minority is viewing it as augmenting their current skills," said the Founding Dean of HBKU College of Law & Public Policy.
As the first cohort of students of the programme launched last year enter their second year, Dean Francis highlighted the College's strong internship programme that exposes the students to legal practice in various industries.
"We spoke with the students and asked them about their specific interests and then matched them with specific entities. We'd about four students who had internship with law firms, both international and Qatari law firms. Some went to beIN Sports, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Sidra and Education Above All. We try to give them a broad range of experience. The internship was voluntary and not for credit because some of them already have employment."
"In the next stage, between their second and third years of the programme, we want to get more serious engagement for the students such as summer employment in one of the entities so that when they graduate they can actually work with that firm. We are very conscious of helping the students through the entire cycle and getting them closer to what they want to achieve," said Francis.
Furthermore, he underscored the College's vision to develop local talents in the legal system citing that a majority of the lawyers that are dealing with high-level legal transactions in Qatar are trained offshore.
Francis added,"Our role is to satisfy that demand for the students and be recognised in Qatar and beyond as an English language-based training institution that prepares them for a multi-national career at the highest level. It would help them to get employment in ministries, general councils, or law firms. Also, HBKU College of Law and Public Policy want to be recognised as a leader in research and pedagogy. We would want to establish ourselves as a place for thinking and research and contribute to the major needs in industries and social issues in Qatar, and moreover, as an innovator in teaching."
Highlighting the College's research goals, the official said that their research agenda led by its faculty include focusing on major areas of great importance to Qatar such as energy, sports, media, infrastructure development and aviation.
