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

Commenting on the vital support from active legal practitioners, Dean Susan Karamanian at CLPP said: “Perspectives from leading practitioners like Julian help our 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: “We are very happy to have Julian deliver the seminar on construction contracts to our students at HBKU College of Law and Public Policy. Infrastructure creates positive economic and social spill-overs in any country and supports its 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. Commenting on his experience, he said: “It’s been a great pleasure for me to be involved with the 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, but especially for Qatar where so much infrastructure development is taking place. HBKU therefore offers a timely and valuable program 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 November 18-19, 2018. The conference, mainly sponsored by a Qatar Foundation grant, deals with the new field of domestic “international” courts such as the Qatar International Court & Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). For his part, Georgios Dimitropoulos is also organizing this upcoming conference in collaboration with Queen Mary University London’s Professor Stavros Brekoulakis and the QICDRC.