University of West London LLM Programs start at ANC Education 

ANC Education has commenced the first LLM student intake with a full batch in September 2012.

Two prominent academics Dr Philipp Elliot-Wright, Course Leader for LLM Programs and Dr Yaraslau Kryvoi, Senior Lecturer, School of Law from the University of West London arrived in Sri Lanka to attend the inaugural lectures conducted at ANC Education. UWL academics will come to Sri Lanka every semester to teach up to 30% of the syllabus of LLM Programs.

Under its postgraduate studies in law, ANC Education offers four programs including LLM International Business and Commercial Law, LLM International Banking and Finance Law, LLM International Studies in Intellectual Property Law and LLM International Investment and Arbitration Law. The postgraduate business programs include the MBA, MA Contemporary Marketing, MSc Accounting and Finance and MSc Project Management.

“These new courses offered at the ANC Education in Sri Lanka are internal degrees from  University of West London, students who enrol on these programs enrol as University of West London students as they receive exactly the same program as they would in London with the same syllabus, same material and with access to the UWL virtual learning environment. The students can complete their LLM in Sri Lanka and obtain an internal LLM degree on successful conclusion,” stated Dr Philipp Elliot-Wright elaborating on the partnership between the two educational institutions and the structure of the courses. 

The University of West London which had been established as a technical college in the 1860s received university status in the early 1990s and is today one of the leading modern universities in the United Kingdom. Recently it has been rated by the Guardian 2012 as the number one modern university in London. Its Law School for instance has been rated as the number one modern university in London for Law and was also ranked No1 status in many other areas including Graduate.

“We have been very impressed by the contractual relationship with ANC Education where everything has worked out extremely smoothly.

ANC already has well established links with institutions in America and Australia and is an organisation that is used to delivering Degree programs in collaboration with leading international universities and we have been most impressed with their facilities and teaching staff,” added Dr Elliot-Wright.

The new postgraduate programs offered at the ANC are designed to help students prepare for and have the understanding and the skills-base to perform in the global market. Many of the Sri Lankan students following these courses will thereby progress within their chosen subjects or degrees into new fields with the ability to compete on an equal footing with students following the courses in London.

Even though the LLM programs of the UWL originate in London they are international and the programs have been structured in collaboration with the ANC to ensure that they reflect the local law or jurisdiction. Therefore, the Sri Lankan students are not only acquiring an English LLM but an international LLM which is being customised locally but with a global understanding.

“International Investment Law and Arbitrations is an area where we have particular strengths as London is a centre for international arbitration. This is also a course which was approved very recently at University of West London. There are many aspects that Sri Lanka can learn, especially since there are plans to establish an International Arbitration Centre in Colombo,” explained Dr. Yaraslau Kryvoi, elaborating further on the details of the courses offered under the programmes.

Apart from the coursework the new programs will also include a series of guest lectures and seminars on the Sri Lankan counterpart of the LLM syllabus; and the students will undertake transactional exercises, enabling them to gain proper practical insight into their fields of study.

MBA and CIMA qualified student and those with a Chartered Accountancy background have been given the opportunity to follow the LLM programs.

Furthermore, ANC Education has also made sure that the students following the LLM programs are offered the unique opportunity to complete one semester of the course in London for the LLM International Studies in Intellectual Property Law and LLM International Investment and Arbitration Law. All LLM Programs can be completed at a fraction of the cost of completing a degree in the UK, which will be offered also on easy payment schemes and also through special loan facilities.

“The responses from students have been quite good and the demand has been very strong. The teaching includes lectures in the form of power point presentations, seminars and group discussions and the course is structured to make it as interactive and practical as possible,” said Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya, Senior Academic Advisor of LLM Programs at ANC Education. 

Students in the inaugural LLM batch have so far been delighted about the program as they have had the first few lectures with the University of West London academics.

A series of additional guest lectures on Sri Lankan Law counterpart by eminent personalities in the Sri Lankan Legal fraternity commenced from 25 September allowing students a rich learning experience.