BITS Law School Signs MOU With UCD Sutherland School Of Law
Collaboration focuses on research collaboration, movement of faculty, joint curriculum development and student mobility
BITS Law School, Mumbai, a new age Law School under the aegis of BITS Pilani, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sutherland School of Law at the University College Dublin (UCD), the first University Law School in Ireland to be accredited by the Bar Council of India that counts among its alumni, Shri V.V. Giri, the fourth President of India.
The signing ceremony took place in New Delhi in the presence of His Excellency Kevin Kelly, the Ambassador of Ireland to India, the UCD delegation led by Professor Dolores O’Riordan, Vice President for Global Engagement, and the BITS delegation led by Professor (Dr.) Ashish Bharadwaj, the Dean of BITS Law School.
The MOU between BITS Law School and UCD Sutherland Law School includes key strategic initiatives, including collaborative research on intellectual property and technology law, European Union law, bilateral mobility of faculty members for teaching and research, development of joint programmes to provide immersive learning experiences, and development of contemporary courses that are a part of the specialisations offered by the two institutions. These activities aim to enhance standards of academic research, student learning, and to nurture an environment of academic innovation.
“We want to build on Ireland’s bilateral relationship with India across a range of fronts. Not just government to government, but institution to institution, and people to people,” said H.E. Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India. “Education has long been a strong link between India and Ireland. We are also witnessing the flourishing of academic partnerships between Irish and Indian Universities,” H.E. Kevin Kelly stated.
"The partnership between BITS Law School and UCD Sutherland Law School is a testament to our commitment to foster academic engagement between faculty members and scholars on contemporary legal and policy issues, including music and copyright law, issues of intellectual property rights in Artificial Intelligence, and comparative constitutional law,” stated Prof. (Dr.) Ashish Bharadwaj, Founding Dean of BITS Law School. "Some admirable aspects of the Indian Constitution are inspired from the Irish Constitution, including the Directive Principles of State Policy that are integral to our model of equitable governance. This partnership is poised to transform the educational experience for our students and faculty alike, setting new benchmarks in legal research and scholarship," Prof. Bharadwaj added.
“As UCD celebrates 10 years of working with India through our Global Centre in Delhi, we are excited to further develop lasting bilateral partnerships with Indian institutions. I am delighted to have signed this MoU with BITSLAW, based on the excellent connection that Dr. Bernd Justin Jütte has forged with Prof. Ashish Bharadwaj, Dean of BITSLAW. I look forward to this partnership growing in ways that benefit both our universities,” said Prof. Dolores O’Riordan, Vice-President for Global Engagement, Sutherland School of Law on the occasion.
The collaboration marks a significant milestone for both institutions, heralding new opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. University College Dublin has an illustrious 160-year legacy and its Law School, established in 1911, is one of the largest and most internationally diverse law schools in the EU that follows a common law tradition. The occasion follows a recent engagement between the two institutions when Professor Bernd Justin Jütte, Vice-Principal for Global Engagement at UCD interacted with the founding class of BITSLAW students. Professor Jütte will be visiting BITS Law School next month to continue the conversations with students and faculty.
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