Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU)’s College of Law will offer a unique Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree program, which is the highest research degree in law, from August 2020.
It is arguably the first full-fledged research-intensive law doctorate degree in the MENA region, and one of the few of its kind outside of the US.
“The launch of the SJD degree in August 2020 reinforces the College of Law’s focus on research. We look forward to having a cadre of SJD students devoted to intensive legal research with their resulting dissertations published as books or series of law review articles,” Dr. Susan L Karamanian (pictured), Dean, College of Law, HBKU told The Peninsula.
The SJD degree is open to candidates with a Juris Doctor (JD) or Master of Laws (LLM) degree who have set forth a creative research proposal and demonstrated the ability to complete a dissertation of publishable quality in a timely manner.
At present HBKU’s College of Law offers three law degrees JD, LLM in International Law and Foreign Affairs; and LLM in International Economic and Business Law and one certificate titled ‘Law in Practice in Qatar.’
“We aim to have 15 students matriculate annually in the JD programme and an equal number in total in the other degree programmes,” said Dr Karamanian.
The JD degree, which takes three years, is open to qualified candidates with at least a first university degree, which can be in any subject. Successful candidates should have strong writing and analytical skills and, ideally, demonstrated leadership potential.
The LLM degrees are one-year degrees. They also require at least a first university degree. The LLM in International Economic and Business Law open only to those with a degree in law while candidates for the LLM in International Law and Foreign Affairs may have a first degree in law or in certain other subjects, such as international relations.
Dr. Karamanian emphasised that since the College of Law opened its doors nearly five years ago, it has had a strong contingent (at least 65 percent) of Qatari students and international law courses are quite popular.
“The blockade against Qatar has presumably contributed to this development. Students appear anxious to learn about whether the blockade is legal under international law. If it violates international law, then what remedies are available to Qatar for the wrongdoing? The overall topic covers many subjects, including treaty law, human rights, and international trade and investment law,” said Dr. Karamanian.
“With the World Cup coming here in 2022, our sports law course has also been of keen interest. A unique course is Entrepreneurship Law, in which teams of two students work together throughout the semester and act as legal counsel for various entities relating to a start-up and its engagement in the marketplace. Healthcare Law is another important course, particularly given Qatar’s focus on medicine and the associated resources in Education City, such as HBKU’s College of Health and Life Sciences and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar,” she added.
According to Dr. Karamanian, the talented group of faculty at the Law College bring a comparative perspective into the classroom. The college also offers a wide range of opportunities for the students to learn outside the classrooms.
“Qatar is a global hub of commercial activity. Lawyers working in this environment need to understand law from multiple perspectives, including the common law, civil law and Shariah. Second, our faculty members challenge students to anticipate problems and propose lasting legal solutions,” said Dr. Karamanian.
