Queen Mary University of London has launched a new LLM in International Shipping Law programme in collaboration with the Hellenic Management Centre in Piraeus, Greece.
The new programme will be taught in Greece by experts from the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at Queen Mary and is based on the successful London-based LLM in International Shipping Law.
The LLM in International Shipping Law (Piraeus, Greece) is an innovative postgraduate programme, which offers students the opportunity to develop academic and professional expertise in specialised areas of global maritime law, including "Wet" Shipping Law, Marine Insurance, Maritime Arbitration, P&I Clubs, Carriage of Goods by Sea and Charterparties. The course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) and is aimed at both lawyers and professionals with relevant work experience and LLB (or equivalent degree) holders. The programme is now open for applications for the academic year 2015-2016.
An event to celebrate the launch took place at the British Ambassador’s Residence on 1 December 2014. The event was co-hosted by the Hellenic Management Centre (HMC) of Piraeus, Greece and Queen Mary University of London, and attended by eminent personalities from the shipping and legal world.
British Ambassador John Kittmer said:
‘I am glad that the strong, historic links between Greece and the UK in the maritime sector are expanding further in the area of postgraduate education of lawyers and shipping professionals. One of our most distinguished academic institutions, Queen Mary University of London, is setting up in Piraeus, the heart of global shipping, offering to law degree holders and shipping professionals the opportunity to further their qualifications with a world-renowned LLM in International Shipping Law, while carrying on working and without having to relocate. It’s a great opportunity for young lawyers and professionals within the Greek shipping community.’
The attendees were also welcomed by Mrs Natalia Margioli, Managing Director of the Hellenic Management Centre. Mrs Margioli highlighted the importance of the collaboration of HMC with Queen Mary University of London. She pointed out that the programme is an excellent choice for maritime and law professionals that seek to enhance their carrier opportunities and improve their knowledge on commercial shipping law. She concluded that the QMUL LLM programme will promote Piraeus as a metropolitan centre for education in shipping and enhance the leading position of Greece in International Shipping.
After thanking the British Ambassador and Mrs Margioli of HMC, Professor David Sadler, International Vice-President of Queen Mary University of London, focused on the international profile of QMUL, member of the Russell Group of Universities and one of the 24 leading research institutions of the world. Mentioning the extensive international student and staff community, joint programmes in China and Paris, he greeted the new collaboration with HMC for the Piraeus LLM, as a distinctive programme.
Professor Spyros Maniatis, Director of Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, underlined that the new LLM in International Shipping Law in Piraeus is the Centre’s second European venture after the LLM in Paris. Adding the Hellenic Management Centre’s vision and enthusiasm, he expects Piraeus to become a metropolitan shipping hub that contributes to the development of commercial law from an international and comparative perspective.
Dr Tina Loverdou, Programme Director at CCLS, thanked the British Ambassador and the attendees and referred to the structure of the new LLM Programme. Following the success of the London based LLM in International Shipping Law, she highlighted that it is a unique opportunity for shipping and shipping law professionals to attend such an LLM Programme in Greece, receiving a highly respected postgraduate degree.
Queen Mary University of London is one of the UK's leading research-focused higher education institutions and its School of Law is currently ranked 3rd in the UK and 1st in London in the Guardian University Guide 2015. The programme will be taught by experts of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies which, since its establishment in 1985 within Queen Mary’s School of Law, has become one of the leading institutions for commercial law in the world.
The Hellenic Management Centre (HMC) in Piraeus, Greece is committed to professional education and development within the shipping industry since 1999; offering education and maritime training programmes addressed to major companies and experienced shipping professionals, designed to upgrade their theoretical and practical grounding. Since 2003, HMC is the Official Educational Provider of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, the only internationally recognized professional body for shipping professionals, offering ICS Courses leading to ICS Membership.