Top law school St Joseph University (USJ) of Beirut comes to Dubai

It will be the first time the St Joseph University (USJ) of Beirut has opened a campus outside Lebanon, and it will offer a four-year Bachelor of Law degree.

The signing ceremony for the foundation of the new campus took place at Emirates Towers Tuesday, June 24, 2008 in the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice-President of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, between Professor Rene Chamussy, President of the USJ and Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

Also present from the University were the Vice-President for International Affairs, Professor Antoine Hokayem, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Fayez Hajj Chahine, Administrative Director of USJ in Dubai, Mr Rizk Rizk, and Director of Publications and Communications, Cynthia-Maria Ghobril. The signing was also attended by the Lebanese Consul General in Dubai, Ms Donna Al Turk.

The college, to be known as the University of St Joseph - Dubai College of Law, will offer a customised programme for Dubai, which will incorporate Sharia, French, Arabic and European law. It will open its doors in September.

The college will qualify lawyers to work in the Public Prosecution office and in areas such as Immigration and Customs. It also aims to supply lawyers who will eventually become the future judges in Dubai's courts system, as well as future leaders for Dubai for whom a background in law will be invaluable.

The course is in line with KHDA's commitment to the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, which includes the important pillar of Security, Justice, and Safety. It also recognises that the standard of local legal representation must conform to international best practice as Dubai's population grows and it continues to attract business and investment from abroad.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam said

"Our role at KHDA is to ensure the workforce in Dubai meets the needs of the Dubai Strategic Plan, and an important part of that is the area of security and justice which needs the best-trained lawyers.

"The choice of this university means we can have one of the most respected law programmes in the Arab world here in Dubai. We do not always have to bring university campuses from outside the region, and in this case we will have the very best that the region can offer. Of course, this also means that National women will be able to study law at the highest level without travelling abroad."

SJU President Professor Chamussy said: "This will be our first campus outside of Lebanon so this is an ambitious and exciting prospect for all of us at USJ. We will be bringing staff to Dubai and aim to give students here the very best legal education they could get. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Dubai."

Dr Warren Fox, Executive Director of Higher Education at the KHDA who also attended the signing, said: "The arrival of St Joseph University in Dubai endorses the work we are trying to do here. This prestigious college will not only educate our young lawyers and future judges to the very highest standards, but we hope it will enable a generation of students to see that working for the legal system in Dubai is a worthwhile career choice, for young men and women alike."