Bond University's Faculty of Law has secured a unique partnership with the Swiss International Law School (SiLS), enabling Masters of Laws students to undertake a dual degree between the two universities and receive qualifications from both institutions.
The Swiss International Law School is an online university that offers a global Master of Laws (LLM) program, allowing lawyers from all over the world to complete modules on international and cross-border issues.
The dual-award agreement will give law students from both Bond and SiLS the opportunity to graduate with two Master of Laws (LLM) degrees with different specialisations, by completing one semester on campus at Bond and the other semester online through SiLS.
The partnership comes only months after Bond signed a separate agreement with leading Chinese university, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL), that will involve Bond academics travelling each year to ZUEL to deliver law subjects in English, and Chinese students who complete those subjects articulating into Bond's Master of Laws and Juris Doctor programs.
Bond University Acting Executive Dean of Law, Professor Nick James, said SiLS's partnership with Bond was the first of its kind undertaken in Australia by the prestigious international law school.
"SiLS is delivering an innovative online program offering instruction by high profile legal academics and lawyers from all over the world," he said.
"The dual-award agreement between Bond and SiLS is a unique opportunity for Masters students to graduate with two Masters qualifications.
"Bond students taking part in the program will have the chance to network with some of the world's leading international academics and legal professionals, as well as interact with law students from across the globe.
"This agreement will provide postgraduate law students at Bond with a truly internationalised learning experience."
The first group of students from SiLS to take advantage of this agreement are expected to arrive on campus at Bond in the third trimester (September), while eligible Bond students can commence their SILS modules as early as August.
Professor James said the partnership with SiLS was part of Bond's ongoing commitment to provide an exceptionally high-quality learning experience with a global focus to its law students.
"Through our collaborative associations with international institutions such as SiLS and the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL), Bond is focused on facilitating the global mobility of law students and developing the skills and competencies required by tomorrow’s global legal professionals," he said.