Interactive case-based pedagogical development on maritime, aviation and logistics law for supply chain and logistics operations
Project title
Interactive case-based pedagogical development on maritime, aviation and logistics law for supply chain and logistics operations
Co-Investigator(s)
Grant Type
RGC Inter-Institutional Development Scheme
Project Code
UGC/IIDS14/B02/16
Amount awarded
HK$402,025
Funding Year
2017-2018
Duration of the Project
18 months
Status
Completed
Start date
01-01-2017
Expected Completion
30-06-2018
Abstract
To maintain the competitiveness of the logistics and transport business in Hong Kong in the world arena requires continuous education and nurturing of future leaders in the field. Hong Kong ranked fourth in port throughput among the container ports of the world in 2014. In air cargo logistics, Hong Kong has been the world's busiest cargo hub since 2010, and it continues to rank first in total cargo throughput among hubs of the world. There is a high demand for professional talent and skilful labour in the shipping and transport logistics industry, especially in the peripheral and high value-added services such as maritime law and arbitration, aviation and safety regulations, maritime insurance or ship broking and chartering. Furthermore, the government is encouraging and setting plans for positioning Hong Kong to serve as an important international maritime services hub for China and the Asia-Pacific region, providing comprehensive maritime services in areas such as maritime law and arbitration, marine insurance, and ship broking and chartering. As the recent Belt and Road Initiatives from China continue to evolve, the need is growing for professional practitioners with expertise in carriage of goods law and investment arbitration for the support of cargo trading at points along the identified maritime Silk Road. Even with the current levels of shipping, practitioners in the supply chain and logistics divisions of corporations that handle day-to-day cargo distribution and delivery often lack sufficient knowledge concerning basic cargo claims, insurance and regulations. Thus, there is a crucial need to enhance the levels of research and education development in this area. Today, there exist few state-of-the-art teaching and learning materials on logistics and shipping law that suit the needs of business school students studying supply chains, logistics and transportation in Hong Kong. The availability of textbooks and relevant case studies is minimal, and the reference materials are often designed for legal students instead of business or engineering students. These students often find it difficult to follow the textbooks that are being used in law schools. The reference materials in law schools often focus on legal perspectives and terminologies appropriate for solicitors and barristers. These texts are not intended for supply chain business and operations students. Thus, there is a need to develop a research and teaching platform on maritime and aviation law for those in the disciplines of supply chain management and logistics, including both students and industrial practitioners. These people are required to be well prepared in their knowledge of shipping and logistics law when they deal with disputes or claims involving international cargo deliveries, vessel chartering, cargo damage or contracts of affrei.htmlent. The need for such expertise in Hong Kong is evident in the many cases involving vessel collisions, logistics contract disputes, documentation issues, cargo claims and insurance or maritime arbitration. In view of these needs, this project aims to organise a series of seminars and workshops on cases of maritime, aviation and logistics law. The project also aims to develop a case-based curriculum that will enable teaching and research. Furthermore, it will establish a Maritime, Aviation, and Logistics Law (MALL) teaching platform, and will compile relevant case studies and reference handbooks for students and practitioners, providing them with the necessary background in business, supply chains, logistics and engineering. This tailored research and teaching platform on maritime and aviation law in Hong Kong will introduce students to the latest cases occurring in Hong Kong, China and nearby regions. The platform will present such material in a structurally integrated, interactive way. The project deliverables will certainly benefit the students, scholars, educators and industry practitioners in this field.