Bringing an international perspective

The diverse program offered by the Melbourne Law Masters gives students the opportunity to learn from leading scholars and practitioners from Australia and around the globe.

Almost 50 international visiting lecturers will be teaching in the Melbourne Law School Masters Program next year, across an extraordinary range of subjects.

These international experts join Law School teaching staff, leading scholars and industry professionals to bring new perspectives and the latest thinking on emerging and ongoing legal issues.

Professor Fiona Macmillan, Professor of Law at Birkbeck, University of London, will be presenting Cultural Heritage, Trade and Development, one of the many new subjects in the 2011 program.

"I'm very much looking forward to being a part of such a vibrant and international intellectual environment," Professor Macmillan said.

"Cultural heritage law is only just emerging as a new area of legal study and is a response to the dynamic potential of an area of enormous international and national political concern and conflict."

Professor Macmillan's subject will give students a comprehensive knowledge of international law in the area.

"What I also hope students will gain from the subject is a thought- provoking engagement with the impossibility of considering cultural heritage law out of its cultural and political contexts," Professor Macmillan said.

Not only does the Melbourne Law Masters offer students the opportunity to hone their legal knowledge, it also presents them with the latest legal expertise from those working at the top of their field.

Associate Professor Wei Cui is visiting Melbourne Law School from the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. Associate Professor Wei Cui's subject will cover the intricacy of Chinese regulatory law and tax law applicable to cross- border transactions.

He brings to the subject insights gained from working in China, including his most recent post as Senior Tax Counsel to the China Investment Corporation.

"Chinese law has become more and more complex, and that is a very good reason to have a professional subject on it," says Associate Professor Wei Cui.

"But there is a lot going on in parallel with law that cannot just be read from the legal rules. Both the lawyering and the policy advisory work I've been doing in China have made me want to think harder, as a scholar, about some of these backgrounds to Chinese law."

Associate Professor Wei Cui's subject will acquaint students with the policy, institutional and cultural background of Chinese tax and investment law. He will reflect on how the experience of foreign investors fits into the larger picture of social and economic change.

"Perhaps I can also help students figure out, based on our discussions, which are the most efficient and focused ways to further explore doing business or working in China," Associate Professor Wei Cui said.

The Melbourne Law Masters program offers outstanding programs for both law and non-law graduates. It comprises a range of graduate diplomas and masters degrees across twenty core legal specialisations.

This article originally appeared in MLS News, Issue 4, November 2010.