by Hri Agnihotri, final year LLB Law Student (at the time of writing)
As part of the insightful opportunities offered by CLS, I attended the International CommercialLaw Virtual Conference that took place on the 28th, 29th and 30th April 2021. Dr David Ndolo, the coordinator and project leader of the programme, provided us with detailed itineraries for each day. Over the three days, we heard from experts on international commercial law matters and had regular discussions on the topics discussed, which helped improve our commercial awareness skills.
On the first day we heard presentations from Dr Stuart MacLennan on the impact of Brexit on international sales of goods, Professor Yongmei Chen from SWUPL on foreign direct investment in China and Dr Bingdao Wang on cross border insolvency.
As a student who would like to continue their studies and pursue a Masters in International Commercial Law, these detailed talks were rather interesting. It gave me an opportunity to develop a deep understanding on what I hope to study in the future, as well as on current global matters happening in the world.
Furthermore, Dr Steve Foster, discussed with us the benefits of publishing and the development of the Coventry Law Journal. It was an insightful presentation which made me think about the different ways to gain recognition in my area of research and contribute to the academic community. It also tied in with the opportunity presented to students, where the CLS aims to have a special edition of the Coventry Law Journal with papers from the conference. This will also be available on Westlaw once published.
On day 2 we heard from more Professors from Coventry Law School and partner Universities with the key theme being contemporary issues in international commercial law. Firstly Professor Shaowei Lin, from SWUPL presented on the recent developments in Chinese company law, thereafter Associate Paola Rodas Paredes from Nebreja University, presented on the regulation of financial market infrastructures based on distributed ledger technology and Finally, Assistant Professor Luo Li presented on artificial intelligence in the music industry.
Later on in the day, we split up into breakout rooms and had lengthy discussions on contemporary issues in international commercial law. This aspect of the conference was also beneficial in other ways, for example, I was able expand on my networking and communication skills by connecting with my peers on LinkedIn. It also allowed me to hear from a diverse range of students.
My group included Postgraduate students, PhD students and international students. Therefore, not only did we discuss matters on current global issues such as artificial intelligence in banking, but we spoke about our academic interests. This was of particular interest to me because I heard from academically experienced students and thus gained valuable advice.
On the final day we heard from Associate Head of Coventry Law School for Research, Lorenzo Pasculli. He gave us a comprehensive presentation on research in Coventry University, and highlighted the research connections Coventry Law School has with other reputable intuitions.
Thereafter, multiple students presented on their chosen topic, which ranged from issues on maritime law, to discussions on the right to reject goods in British law in comparison to Chinese law, artificial intelligence in the banking industry and corporate social responsibility . This provided students with an invaluable opportunity to interact and engage with each other, share research findings and understanding of their research interests.
At the end of the conference, we all were able to vote on the best student presentation and the awards were presented by the Deputy Head of Coventry Law School, Christina Thompson.
As a result, I highly recommend other students to attend any conferences offered by the Coventry Law School. Even if you are not interested in furthering studying, you will gain a lot of valuable information which will develop and strengthen your intercultural competences and global perspectives.
Interested in studying law with us? Our LLB Law course offers you the opportunity to gain transferable legal skills and get career ready, with expert staff and excellent international opportunities. Or are you a graduate looking to further your studies through an LLM programme? Find out more about the courses on offer at the Coventry University website.