GMAP in Law
Kobe University
Graduate Schoolof Law

GMAP in Law

APRIL 2015

NEWSLETTER
Issue
KOBEInaugural
UNIVERSITY GRADUATESCHOOL OF LAW INTRODUCES THE“GMAP IN LAW COURSE”
In February 2015, the Kobe University’s Graduate
School of Law introduced its first English Masters
Programme the GMAP in Law Course which kickstarted on April 2015, with a second intake due to startin October 2015.

InsideIntroduction to Legal English
The first lecture for the GMAP inLaw Programme has begun!

2Application for the October
2015 Intake for the GMAP inLaw Programme
If you’ve missed the April 2015intake, fret not!
Details on how to apply for theOctober 2015 intake inside!

6The programme will be held over a period of two years
whereby students will be attending lectures onInternational Business Law subjects entirely in the English
language. Students are also required to participate inmooting workshops and competitions; intern atselected foreign law firms and/or arbitration institutions
for a duration of one to three months; and to turn in a
written thesis or research paper of about 10,000 –
20,000 words in English, to graduate from the coursewith a Masters of Laws (LL.M).

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KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

INAUGRAL ISSUE :: APRIL 2015

Introductionto LegalEnglish“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day inand day out”
-Robert CollierOn 6 April 2015 the GMAP in Law
Programme begun with its first lecture:“Introduction to Legal English 1” byProfessor Keith Carpenter.
As the GMAP in Law Programme is acourse held entirely in English, this class,while not mandatory is an importantclass for all students involved.
Approximately 11 students attended thelecture, which syllabus will coverprimarily the United States and United
Kingdom’s legal system as well as civillaw systems.
Some of the topics that will be includedin the syllabus will be amongst others,
Studying Law & Legal English, ContractLaw, Tort Law, Real Property Law andInternational Law.
The class is an interactive class withstudents
encouraged
toactively
participate by asking questions andspeaking English to each other.
2Studying a foreign language is no simplefeat and students are further encouraged
to study after lectures, making English partof their daily lives instead of confining it tothe classroom while finding other ways tomake learning enjoyable.
As Professor Carpenter had so aptly
shared, “Success is the sum of small
efforts, repeated day in and day out”;
students are therefore advised to not beeasily discouraged and to plod on in theirquest to mastertheEnglish
Language.

::Forfurtherinformation on theIntroduction to Legal
English 1 Course or for
extra English Support
Classes,
please feel free to contact Professor
Carpenter at keith@people.kobe-u.ac.jp ::ccws.

KOBE UNIVERSITYINAUGRAL ISSUE :: APRIL 2015

Diversity of Transnational Criminal Justice
Kobe University Graduate School of Law and Queen Mary University ofLondon School of Law Symposium on International Law
On 10 April 2015, Kobe University’s Graduate School of Law in collaboration with theQueen Mary University of London, School of Law (“QMUL”) organized a symposium oninternational law with criminal law being the main topic of discussion.
Due to the multitude of cross border transactions today and with the spread ofglobalization, criminals and crimes have been spilling out across borders and thesymposium sought to address some of the types of crimes committed and the measuresthat had been taken through international conventions and whether these measures canor should be improved.
The Symposium was divided into four sessions, as follows:
Session 1: Criminal Aspects of International Law
Session 2: Transnational Criminal Justice and the Protection of Art and National Heritage
Session 3: Human Rights Aspects of Criminal Law
Session 4: Criminal Aspects in New Areas of International Law
The visiting professors and lecturers from QMUL i.e. Professor Malgosia Fitzmaurice,
Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas, Saskia Maria Hufnagel, and Angelos Dimopoulos all gave
interesting lectures in their area of expertise in each of the sessions.
The QMUL guest speakers were also joined by professors and lecturers from otheruniversities such as Professor Mari Takeuchi from Okayama University; Associate Professor
Stefan Grubber from Kyoto University; and Yuri Takaya from Kobe University, who eachgave their own respective lectures on their findings and views on international criminallaw.
For more information on the lectures presented at the symposium, the presentation slides
andpapers
areavailableon:
http://www.law.kobeu.ac.jp/STP/GMAPs/programme_0410.html
ccws.
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KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

INAUGRAL ISSUE :: APRIL 2015

Continued from page 1

The main purpose of the course is to equip students withthe skills required to perform in the international businessarena, which more often than not uses the English
language as its main medium of communication.
As such the courses under the programme have been
designed to assist students in acquiring the basic
knowledge of law, economics and management.
Besides the mandatory lectures required the course also
provides optional lectures with the aim of examining
and understanding the theoretical and practical issuesof International Business Law.
Further, by exposing the students to internshipprogrammes in law firms and/or arbitration institutions
outside of Japan, namely in Malaysia, Vietnam,
Myanmar and Korea; the students are expected toacquire the skills and knowledge which will enable themto function effectively and competently in aninternational legal and/or business environment.
Since the course will be held entirely in English it ispertinent that students do have a good command of
the language, and the programme aims to assist each
student in developing their individual reading, writing
and speaking skills in English with a special focus on
Legal English in this programme.
Hence through the successful completion of thisprogramme by the students, students are expected tobe fully capable in engaging in any legal and businesspractise in English in the International and Japanesebusiness arena.
ccws.
ccws.

Please refer to Page 6 on how to apply for the GMAP in
Law Programme

Places to go: Yoshino A Thousand Sakura : 千本桜
Spring in Japan always brings tomind Japan’s cherry blossoms, or
better known throughout theworld as Sakura.
So what would be better thanbeing able to view a thousandSakura?
The end of March and thebeginning of April is the best time
to view Sakura in Japan andYoshino Yama/Mountain (吉野山)
in the Yoshino district, Nara
Prefecture offers one of the bestplaces for flower viewing, or
better known as Hanami (花見).
The different types and colours ofthe Sakura will definitely leavevisitors spell bound with awe.
In 2004 it was designated as a
UNESCO World Heritage Siteunder the name Sacred Sites andPilgrimage Route in the Kii
Mountain Range.
That said there are many
beautiful shrines/temples to bevisited on the mountain such as
Yoshino Mikumari Shrine, Kimpu
Shrine and Kimpusen Temple
whilst visitors enjoy the beauty ofthe Sakuras.
Definitely a place to go during
the Sakura season!
ccws.

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KOBE UNIVERSITYINAUGRAL ISSUE :: APRIL 2015

International Economic Law and Transnational
Law:
A Social-Legal Perspective
Through globalization, many business transactions today havespilled across its own borders into other nations as internationaltransactions have now become commonplace. Naturally withsuch progression, there should be means to regulate it.

Events:InternationalWelcome Party
In conjunction with the arrivalof Professor Cai Congyan fromXiamen University Law School;
the international students; andthe new staff for the GMAP inLaw
programmeainternational welcome party
was held at the University’s
restaurant Sakura on 20 th April
2015.
The event was kept small andprivate with the students,
professors/lecturers and staff
mingling freely after a brief
introduction
byalltheattendees.

Professor Roger Cotterrell from the Queen Mary University ofLondon, School of Law has attempted to address this in his
lecture given on 9th April 2015. Whereby he introduced the term
Transnational Law; not an entirely new term, and one in which
may scholars have adopted to indicate new legal relations,influences, controls, regimes, doctrines and systems that are notmunicipal law, but yet also not fully grasped by the extended
definitions of the scope of international law.
Professor Cotterrell’s lecture explores the relationships between
international economic law and the emerging forms oftransnational law and the approach to clarify the nature of thelaws regulating transnational economic relations and the basisof its authority and legitimacy. He draws on recent analyses oftransnational private law and considers their relevance forinternational economic law; he also discussed on how theapproach that he lectured about emphasizes a major problem
for international economic law, and how to lessen theremoteness of regulators from the experience and aspirations of
the regulated.
For more information and the full paper on Professor Cotterrell’s
lecture,pleaserefertohttp://www.law.kobeu.ac.jp/info/20150409paper.pdf
ccws.

Visiting Professor Cai will beteaching
International
Investment Law 1 for the GMAPinLaw
programmethissemester and will be available
in the University until the firstweek of May 2015.
ccws.

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Application for the GMAP in Law
Programme, October 2015 intake
Students wishing to apply for the October 2015 intake
should ensure that they apply for the course before themiddle of May 2015. Details on the application procedurecan be found on the Kobe University Graduate School ofLaw & Faculty of Law website at http://www.law.kobeu.ac.jp/kobe_univ_global/english/admission/graduate.ht
ml.
Admission requirements include the submission of yourtest score for an English proficiency test (e.g. TOEIC,TOEFL, IELTS etc.); a research plan of 1,500 words; and aninterview (via Skype for foreign students).
Foreign students
programme!

arewelcome

toapplyforthisINAUGRAL ISSUE :: APRIL 2015

KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

For further information on the
GMAP in Law Programme
kindly contact the following
person:

GMAP in Law’s Academic Staff

Professor Dai Tamada
tamada@port.kobe-u.ac.jp
Tel: +81-78-803-2507

Professor Akira Saito (Co – Director): International
Commercial Law and Arbitration

Graduate School of Law, 2-1
Rokko-dai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe
City, 657-8501, JAPANwww.law.kobe-u.ac.jp

Professor Dai Tamada (Director): Public International
Law and International Investment Law

Professor Shunichiro Nakano: Private International Law
Professor Keith Carpenter: Legal English, Legal Practice,and Financial Law
For any queries or if you would like to contribute to thisNewsletter, please feel free to contact Cindy Cheong at:
cindy.cheong@phoenix.kobe-u.ac.jp
Tel: +81-78-803 – 6709
Graduate School of Law, 2-1 Rokko-dai-cho, Nada-ku,
Kobe City, 657-8501, JAPAN