The IISTL Intensifies Collaboration with International Partners
The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) co-hosted a colloquium at Dalian on 10-11 December 2012 in collaboration with Shanghai Maritime University, Dalian Maritime University (Liaoning Province, China), and Korea University (Seoul, South Korea). The event represented the first concrete outcome of an important collaboration agreement signed between the four institutions (all of which are elite universities specialising in maritime teaching and research) earlier in the year with the aim of promoting academic exchange and corporation between them. Under this agreement, each institution has undertaken to host an international colloquium every two years and Dalian Maritime University volunteered to lead the way by hosting the inaugural event. These colloquiums will be known collectively as the DSSK Colloquiums, based on the initials of the parties involved.
From left to right- Professor B. Soyer (Director, the IISTL, Swansea University), Professor XU Guoping (Shanghai Maritime University), Dr Richard Caddell (IISTL, Swansea University) and Dr XIA Yuanjun (Dalian Maritime University)
The colloquium held in December 2012 focused on ‘Contemporary Issues and New Perspectives on Pollution Liabilities and Ship Building and Finance’; sponsored by lawyers Reed Smith and Goodwell Law Firm and supported by the Liaoning Innovative Research Team, it attracted more than 100 delegates from academia, the judiciary, legal practice and industry in China, Hong Kong, Korea and the United Kingdom. Four members of the IISTL presented papers at it: Professor Baris Soyer (The Legal Liability of Offshore Installations for Oil Pollution - the North Sea Solution); Dr Richard Caddell (The Erika Disaster -- The European Response and International Law); Professor Andrew Tettenborn (Shipbuilding Contracts - Contract Structure) and Professor Richard Williams (Shipbuilding Contracts -- Contractual and Common Law Remedies). Twelve other papers were presented at the event. Speakers included Professor Hu Zhengliang of Shanghai Maritime University (Deficiencies in Chinese Law with regard to Compensation for Damage to Marine Ecological Resources Arising from Drilling Platform Oil Spill); Professor Shan Hongjun of Dalian Maritime University (A Perfect Oil Compensation Regime for China); Professor Hyeon Kim of Korea University (Lessons from the M/T Hebei Spirit Oil Pollution Accident in Korea) and Mr Li Lianjun of Reed Smith Richards Butler (Ship Registration and Problems in Hong Kong).
From left to right- Professor WANG Guohua (Shanghai Maritime University); Dr WANG Xin (Dalian Maritime University) and Professor Andrew Tettenborn (IISTL, Swansea University) in one of the panel discussions
The next colloquium in the series will be held in 2014 and will be hosted by Shanghai Maritime University.
Commenting on the event, Professor Baris Soyer, the Director of the IISTL, said:
“At a time when the balance in the shipping sector is shifting gradually towards the Far East, it is very timely for the IISTL and its members to get together with lawyers and academics from the region on a formal basis to exchange ideas and discuss common problems. We benefitted immensely from this experience and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners and in particular the Dalian Maritime University for agreeing to host the inaugural event and also for doing such a tremendous job in every aspect. I am already looking forward to the next event in Shanghai in 2014”
First published in 2012