Marking the commencement of this year’s class on Infrastructure Development Law at the College of Law and Public Policy (CLPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Julian Bailey, a leading authority in construction law, delivered the first in a series of seminars on the subject to third-year Juris Doctor (JD) students and distinguished guests.

As an adjunct professor of law at CLPP, Partner at White & Case LLP Doha and a sitting member of the governing council for the Society of Construction Law (Gulf), Julian Bailey has actively participated in various college colloquia on arbitration in the last two years.

Infrastructure Development Law, a course taught by Assistant Professor Georgios Dimitropoulos as part of the JD programme, explores construction, regulatory and dispute resolution-related aspects of infrastructure development, as well as infrastructure sustainability and finance. It also discusses the international economic law dimensions of this rapidly developing field in cases such as the One-Belt-One-Road Initiative.

Speaking on the vital support from active legal practitioners,CLPP Dean Susan Karamanian said that perspectives from leading practitioners like Julian, help students understand the practical implications of complex legal principles.

We are grateful to Julian and the law firm of White & Case for their sustained support in bringing an innovative approach to the classroom experience and enabling the CLPP community to learn about legal principles and practices that are key to Qatar’s infrastructure activity.’

Highlighting the comprehensive course content, Assistant Professor Dimitropoulos said they are happy to have Julian deliver the seminar. He said that  infrastructure creates positive economic and social spill-overs in any country and supports the legal and social institutions, while landmark infrastructure has the potential to reshape the international profile of cities and countries alike.

The Infrastructure Development Law course gives a very good opportunity for our students to understand the legal, policy and practical aspects of infrastructure development and Julian has a unique understanding of all three.’

While Professor Bailey’s first seminar focused on construction contracts, other sessions will be dealing with the resolution of construction disputes.

It’s been a great pleasure to be involved with HBKU CLPP. The students come from a variety of professional and personal background, but one thing they all have in common is their enthusiasm for learning about the law.  The development of infrastructure is an important topic for all countries, especially for Qatar where so much infrastructure development is taking place. HBKU offers a timely and valuable programme to its students.’

Later this year, White & Case, Doha will also sponsor an upcoming conference on the ‘Promise of Hybrid Dispute Resolution Fora’, which will be held at the HBKU College of Law and Public Policy on 18 – 19 November. The conference, sponsored by a Qatar Foundation grant, deals with the new field of domestic international courts such as the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC).

Georgios Dimitropoulos is also organising this upcoming conference in collaboration with Professor Stavros Brekoulakis of the Queen Mary University in London and the QICDRC. To learn more about HBKU and its colleges, research institutes and centres, visit hbku.edu.qa.