Lord Phillips launches Knowledge Transfer Partnership in Vietnam

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership between King’s College London and Vietnam National University (VNU) School of Law was launched yesterday (Tuesday 5 May 2015) by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the first President of the UK Supreme Court and Visiting Professor at King’s. 

King’s at VNU-Law will support academics in both institutions to forge collaborations in research, teaching, and policy impact, and is a unique Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the two countries. It will enhance the profile and visibility of UK legal scholarship and teaching, and the international reputation of King’s in Vietnam.

Lord Phillips introduced the collaboration between VNU School of Law with The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s, as part of a lecture to the Vietnam National Assembly to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. 

King's alumni at a reception held on Monday 4 May 2015 at the British Embassy in Hanoi. Alumni are: Ms Laura Milne, Mr Mark Fletcher and Mr Guillame Stafford  with Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers and the British Ambassador Mr Giles Lever.

Magna Carta means ‘The Great Charter’. It is one of the most famous documents in the Western legal world that was signed by King John of England in 1215. Magna Carta established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the law. Magna Carta remains a cornerstone of the British constitution. Most famously, the 39th clause gave all ‘free men’ the right to justice and a fair trial and it is associated with the fundamental value of the ‘rule of law’. It gave all free men the right to justice and a fair trial. Some of Magna Carta’s core principles are echoed in the United States Bill of Rights (1791) and in many other constitutional documents around the world, as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950).

Speaking at the launch, Lord Phillips said: ‘I welcome the launch of King’s at VNU-Law.  It is a sign of co-operation between the UK and Vietnam in the areas of law and international Higher Education. It will build important relationships for our two countries’ judges, lawyers, law academics and students. This is a vital step in enhancing the capability of both the UK and Vietnam to learn more about each other’s law, culture and society as well as strengthening their respective legal systems.’

King's at VNU-Law. Professor Malik of King's with Dr Trinh Tien Viet - Vice Dean - Lecturer in Criminal Law,  Dr Nguyen Trong Diep - Vice Dean - Lecturer on Business Law, Professor Vu Cong Giao is the Head of the Department of Administrative and Constitutional Law , Dr Phan Thi Thanh Thuy is the Head of the Department of Research and Partnership Development and Ms Giang Pham VNU-Law Research and Teaching Fellow in Discrimination Law.

Professor Maleiha Malik, who has led the collaboration, said: ‘I am delighted to spend time in Vietnam working with my academic colleagues, teaching students and meeting policy makers so that I can deepen my knowledge of Vietnam’s legal system, culture and society. The close collaborations forged by King’s at VNU-Law will support the increasing focus on Vietnam at King’s Transnational Law Institute , King’s Global Institutes and the London Asia Pacific Centre for Social Sciences. King’s at VNU-Law will also encourage co-operation between Vietnamese and UK Universities that promotes long-term economic development and the welfare of people in both countries.

Notes to editors:

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers is Dickson Poon Distinguished Fellow and Visiting Professor of Law at King’s. Lord Phillips is a Life Peer in the UK House of Lords which is the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. He is an English judge who was the President of the UK Supreme Court holding office between 2009 and 2012. 

Professor Maleiha Malik is Professor of Law at King’s where her research interests include Discrimination Law, European Union Law, Transnational Law and Jurisprudence. During 2015 she is based in Hanoi where she will be leading King’s at VNU-Law activities that include collaboration in teaching, research and policy impact. King’s at VNU-Law is funded by the British Council, The Leverhulme Trust and King’s College London.

King's is one of the top 20 universities in the world (2014/15 QS World University Rankings) and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 26,500 students (of whom nearly 10,400 are graduate students) from some 150 countries worldwide and nearly 6,900 staff. 

The Dickson Poon School of Law is one of the oldest law schools in England and recognised globally as one of the best law schools in the world (2014/15 QS World University Rankings). The School was established in 1831, and has played an integral role in the life of King's since the university was formed. Find out more about The Dickson Poon School of Law on our website: www.kcl.ac.uk/law 

See coverage of Lord Phillips' lecture in the Vietnamese press

For any press enquiries, please contact: lawcomms@kcl.ac.uk

For more information about King’s at VNU-Law email: dinh.huong@fco.gov.uk