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A master degree is no longer an option
Bachelor degrees are now four years. Five years was previously the stand-
ard. This is just one reason why it is increasingly necessary to be the holder
of postgraduate training; there are many more. A master degree demon-
strates the capacity to develop a sustained and complex argument, good
legal reasoning skills, and the ability to conduct research independently. It
also provides specialization in one area of the law. More importantly, a
master degree is an initiation into legal research: it upgrades and trans-
forms a student into a researcher. In an environment where laws are chang-
ing faster than ever, it is necessary to be able to think about the law in a
critical way and to deal with large amounts of information. In the current
academic and professional environment there is a very strong demand for
quality lawyers and researchers. A master degree is a necessary step to a
successful career: it is no longer an option for any ambitious young lawyer.
In this issue
Master degree: not an option p.1 xxxxx p.2 xxxxx p.3
xxxxxx p.4
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Prof. Jorge Godinho has pub-
lished an edited volume, Studies
on Macau civil, commercial,
constitutional and criminal law,
on LexisNexis, Hong Kong, in
late 2010.
GAMING LAW
.
International Business Law The newsletter of the International Business Law master program, Faculty of Law, University of Macau ISSUE 01 MAY 2011 — WWW.UMAC.MO/FLL/IBL (General editor: Prof. Jorge Godinho)
My IBL program experience, by Lin Min
Every time I was asked about life in Macau,
questions mostly concerned the prosperous
gaming industry. While Macau has been called a
city of dreams for some players, I say that it is
also an irreplaceable place for students to real-
ize their dreams. In the IBL program at the UM
any student with clear goals, in academics in
practice, will be fully supported to pursue them.
In year one we took 10 courses lectured by
scholars, government officials and legal practi-
tioners. The unique financial environment of
Macau distinguishes the courses provided in
our program, especially Anti-Money Laundering
Law and Gaming Law, which may not be offered
in universities in most regions. In these courses,
we are given plenty of opportunities to share
ideas with top scholars and to get valuable sug-
gestions from them. Moreover, we went with
our coordinator Prof. Jorge Godinho to trade
exhibitions to closely view how business is con-
ducted; we also visited the Financial Intelli-
gence Office to communicate with the officers
in person. This flexible teaching method en-
sures that our learning from classes will be
effectively compatible with the practice in reali-
ty. Furthermore, and unlike most master pro-
grams in Mainland China, here we do not need
to decide our specialized majors upfront; in-
stead we have a whole year to freely communi-
cate with professors, explore possible interests;
and then make a decision on the major and the
choice of supervisor by ourselves. As a matter
of fact, the topic of my thesis was originally
inspired by a casual conversation concerning
the General Motors Corporation bankruptcy
case with Prof. Rostam Neuwirth at the library
cafe. At the thesis stage, we mainly contribute
to our own research in a stimulating environ-
ment. It is the intellectual guidance from my
supervisor and the efficient help of the library
staff that guaranteed me a hospitable surround-
ing for conducting the research. During our
studies here, besides these generous scholar-
ships provided by the Faculty, professors also
offer a great deal of research assistant positions
which allow us accumulate valuable research
experiences and at the same time relieve our
financial pressures to some extent.
With all these facilitations, the fruits of my
years in Macau include a journal article, a con-
ference paper, a national report co-authored
with my supervisor Prof. Neuwirth and a pub-
lished translation article for him, an excellent-
level master thesis and an ongoing article.
Meanwhile, I have worked as a graduate assis-
tant for the Faculty of Law for two years, par-
ticipated two research projects and had a short
experience of being an independent consultant
for a local law firm. Writing
down this list makes me real-
ize how lucky I am to have
experienced and gained so
much from this program.
The special location and the
colonial history have shaped
students in Macau like me
with a special perspective to
both China and the European
countries. With the intensifi-
cation of trade and economic
interdependence between the
EU and China there is growing demand for legal
experts familiar with Chinese and EU law and
proficient in Chinese and English. The mastery
of languages and the professional training are
the most valuable assets of IBL graduates.
For me, studying in IBL was a life-change expe-
rience. This experience in Macau helped me to
know that an academic career is the prime
objective for my professional future and also
prepared me for pursuing it. It opened my eyes
to the world and stimulates my fascination
with European culture and law. One visible
outcome of this experience is that I will go
further my study in the European Commis-
sion’s Erasmus Mundus Programme in Law and
Economics in this October. This is definitely a
dream come true!
Time in Macau flies; I will leave soon. I am sure
that I will miss the simple and productive life
here. It is impossible for me to forget the
amazing performances shown in the Cultural
Centre of Macau, especially during the Film
Festival in April, the Arts Festival in May and
the Music Festival in October. Equally, I will
also miss the BBQs at the Hac Sa Beach, the
egg tarts and coffee in our library cafe and
other delicious foods and drinks here. Howev-
er, the dear professors, colleagues and friends
that I had known in past years and the time
spent with them would be the things I will miss
most. All these memories have become a part
of me and will company with me forever. (May
2011)
Lin Min’s D-day From left: Prof. Fan Jianhong
(UM), Dr. Liu (assistant to
Prof. Tamura), Prof. Tamura
(Hokkaido University, Japan),
Lin Min, Prof. Rostam Neu-
wirth and Prof. Jorge Godinho
Lin Min was admitted to the IBL
program in September 2008 and
defended in April 2011 a thesis
on Modernizing the Laws for the
Collateralization of Intellectual
Property: China in a World Per-
spective, supervised by Prof. Ros-
tam Neuwirth. The thesis was
publicly defended before a panel
made of three professors, as is
standard procedure in the IBL
program. Lin Min’s panel was
presided by full Professor Fan
Jianhong (UM). The external
main commentator was Prof.
Yoshiyuki Tamura (Hokkaido Uni-
versity, Japan) and, of course,
the thesis supervisor, Professor
Rostam Neuwirth in this case,
completed the panel.
The IBL program experience: Li Xiaoyue
While the language of the In-
ternational Business Law pro-
gram is English, international
students will always feel at
home. That is because the pro-
fessors of the program speak
many languages including, be-
sides English, the following:
Mandarin, Cantonese, Portu-
guese, Spanish, French, Ger-
man, Italian, Dutch and vari-
ous languages of the Indian
subcontinent.
Q: What are the most interesting aspects of the
IBL program?
Li Xiaoyue: The IBL program is interesting and
carefully designed. Being in English, it can pro-
vide students a perspective of the whole world.
Globalization is an irresistible trend. Legal con-
flicts and business disputes across the world are
inevitable. As a lawyer-to-
be, the participants can
benefit from abundant legal
knowledge. The Macau SAR
is a bridge connecting the
Oriental and Western cul-
tures. As a result, excellent
professors with various
backgrounds converge here,
supplying legal education
covering different legal un-
derstandings and teaching
styles. The rich academic
resources are really a great
treasure bank of legal
knowledge. The professors are all very warm-
hearted and friendly, and students who want
good instruction should not miss this chance.
Q: How different is it from your previous 4 year
law degree?
Li Xiaoyue: It is quite different from my previous
education in Mainland China, where the pur-
pose is to provide basic legal knowledge and
preparation. The IBL program is at the master
level, so it aims to provide a more developed
ability of processing legal research and a good
mastery of legal understanding concentrating in
one field. Besides, the professors of IBL pro-
gram teach in a different way, that is, the acqui-
sition of knowledge is flexible by virtue of vari-
ous reading materials. Consequently, the stu-
dents can accept different viewpoints, which
can largely encourage students to “brainstorm”
different thinking patterns. The IBL program is
not restricted to the Mainland and civil law
legal systems. Macau law and the laws of other
jurisdictions involved are of high value for stu-
dents who aim to be elites throughout
the world.
Q: What challenges did you have in the first
year?
Li Xiaoyue: The first year can be a challenge.
The program is in English and it may be hard for
students to master language skills and
knowledge at the same
time, especially for those
who are not native
speakers. But after a
initial period students
get adapted to the
course being offered in
English. The thesis
writing is carried out
under close supervision
and students have to
offer their own ideas,
attempt new develop-
ments and not repeat
previous knowledge. This tries to make stu-
dents become true researchers and it may be
tricky to get used to such a sudden change from
other education style.
Q: What do you think of life in Macau?
Li Xiaoyue: Macao is a colorful place where you
can experience pure traditional Chinese culture
and also visit historic spots in traditional west-
ern style. Macao is famous for the gambling
industry, which is its main economic pillar. A
variety of casinos bring Macao’s economy, soci-
ety and welfare into blossom, which is quite
different from other economies. Of course, this
is extremely attractive and tens of thousands of
visitors from all over the world go to Macao just
for a glance at its fantastic charm. Life in Macao
can never ever be boring, for it provides an
abundance of interesting things. It’s really indel-
ible in the memory of the students who spend
the life here and Macao is really the second to
none.
We asked Li Xiaoyue (IBL year 2 researcher) what he thinks
about the IBL program and why he believes it is worth it
A MULTILINGUAL AND
MULTICULTURAL ACADEM-
IC ENVIRONMENT
Research facilities Q: What research tools are
available at the University
of Macau?
The library of the University of
Macau offers excellent condi-
tions for research, besides be-
ing a very good building, al-
ways popular with students.
The electronic resources avail-
able include access to all major
international legal databases of
legislation, case law and aca-
demic works. There are com-
prehensive collections of legal
monographs and periodicals.
Both are expanding rapidly
and are very up-to-date, as a
result of strong investment by
the University and the con-
stant follow-up of the profes-
sors.
The study of gaming law and regulation in Macau
Macau has had legalized gaming continuous-
ly since 1849, and the gaming industry has
been a major source of revenue since then.
However, the academic study of gaming law
only started recently. The pioneer has been
the Faculty of Business Administration of the
UM, where a one semester course has been
offered since the academic year 2004/2005.
In the Faculty of Law, gaming law is only
discussed in the IBL master program, in an
optional course conducted jointly by Profes-
sor I. Nelson Rose and Professor Jorge Godi-
nho. Various master theses have been com-
pleted and defended.
Professor I. Nelson Rose is recognized as one
of the world's leading authorities on gam-
bling law. He is an internationally known
scholar, with more than 1,500 published
works, and public speaker, often the keynote
speaker on gambling issues. A 1979 gradu-
ate of Harvard Law School, he is a Distin-
guished Senior Professor at Whittier Law
School in Costa Mesa, California, where he
taught one of the first law school classes on
gaming law.
Professor Rose is best known for his interna-
tionally syndicated column, "Gambling and
the Law®." Recent books include a collec-
tion of columns and analysis, co-authored
with Bob Loeb, on Blackjack and the Law,
and the first casebook on the law of legal
gambling: Gaming Law: Cases and Materi-
als (LexisNexis/Matthew Bender 2003), co-
authored with Professors Robert Jarvis,
Shannon Bybee, J. Wesley Cochran and
Ronald Rychlak. Professor Rose's latest book
is Internet Gaming Law. The se-
cond edition, greatly expanded and revised,
was published in 2009.
The study of gaming law is uniquely interdis-
ciplinary, with the added challenge of con-
stant new developments. Macau is the
world’s largest gaming jurisdiction and clear-
ly one of the best places to conduct research
on gaming law, under excellent supervision.
Publications by Prof. J. Godinho in the field of gaming law
The Macau gaming industry
between ancient and new
The Macau gaming industry evolved
considerably since the end of the
monopoly concessions era in 2001. It
now has 3 concession, 3 subconces-
sions and roughly 180 gaming pro-
moters. The industry comprises 34
casinos, around 5000 tables, and
over 20 casino games are played.
The most popular game is Baccarat
but the oldest one — Fantan — is
still going strong.
THE GAMING LAW COURSE
The gaming law course is usually
held between late May and early
June. This coincides with the Global
Gaming Exhibition Asia annual trade
show, known to everyone as G2E
Asia, which is the largest in Asia.
Every year both professors take the
participants in the master program
to a free guided visit of the trade
show. This is a good opportunity to
see the industry in action and under-
stand the market forces driving it as
well as other connected services and
products that feed it. Not to be
missed!..
‘Should Credit Agreements Between Casinos and Patrons Be Subject to Prior Govern-ment Approval? A Note on Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. v. Mong Henry’, in Gaming Law Review and Economics, 2010, 14(7), 541 ff.
Menores em casinos: é necessário alterar a lei?' [Underage gambling in Macau: is it necessary to modify the law?], in Boletim da Faculdade de Direito da Uni-versidade de Macau (forthcoming; available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1347245) and in Revista de Direito Público, ano II, no. 4, Jul-Dez 2010, 127 ff.
'Financial strategies of crime control in the Macau SAR’, in Jorge Godinho (ed.), Stud-ies on Macau civil, commercial, constitutional and criminal law, LexisNexis, Hong Kong, 2010, 249 ff.
‘The Regulation of gaming and betting contracts in the 1999 Macau Civil Code’, in Gaming Law Review and Economics, 2007, 11(3), 572 ff.
‘Credit for gaming in Macau’, in Gaming Law Review and Economics, 2006, 10(4), 363 ff.
More than a simple academic program, by Almeida Machava
I had the honor to be part of the
very first intake of the IBL program.
To come here and be part of the IBL
group was a challenging experience.
Language for example: I am from
Mozambique, a Portuguese speak-
ing country, and not a native Eng-
lish speaker. However, the excellent
academic environment at the UM
and a constant concern from the
program’s coordinators allowed for
easy integration. In a few weeks
language was no longer an issue.
A select group of brilliant scholars
and professionals that lectured the
10 courses during the first year
made the UM’s IBL unique. Usually
people say ‘Macau, the place where
East meets West’. After my experi-
ence here I would rather say
‘Macau, the place where the East
meets the world’, since the way the
program is designed creates condi-
tions to interact with people from
all over the world and to exchange
valuable experience, a true example
of a globalized world.
Macau is a fascinating place but if
we are not prepared we can easily
be diverted from our objectives.
Commitment, dedication and disci-
pline is needed: when we have a
goal to achieve we have to concen-
trate on it, define priorities, and
give up certain activities for the
benefit of our goal. The inestimable
advice of my supervisor, Prof. Wei
Dan, and from the coordinator,
Prof. Jorge Godinho, and the expe-
rience learned from scholars and
professionals I had the opportunity
to interact with during the IBL ses-
sions, and to whom I will be always
grateful, allowed me to conclude
the IBL program within two years,
as designed. Today I am proud to
hold a master in IBL by the Faculty
of Law of the University of Macau.
In addition to a master degree this
program gave me an opportunity to
build true relations of fraternity:
here I found a new family far from
my motherland. The IBL is more
than an academic program. It is re-
warding when, after more than
three years, I realize that the links I
built with Professors and colleagues
during the program are still alive;
we may be not in the same place
but the complicity remains. To be
part of the IBL program was a life-
time experience not to be forgotten.
Today I am a PhD candidate at the
UM and I am glad that the IBL pro-
gram created the conditions for this.
In fact, my PhD thesis topic is a re-
sult of one of many and always in-
spiring conversations with Prof. Wei
Dan. It is significant that she never
broke the link established during
the IBL program; today she is my
supervisor for the PhD program.
After an amazing experience in this
program, in Mozambican dialect I
say: KANIMAMBO (thank you) IBL!
(May 2011)
Almeida Machava’s
fact sheet
Almeida Machava was one of
four candidates from Mozam-
bique admitted to the first intake
of the IBL program in September
2006.
He defended in July 2008 a thesis
on Free Trade and Regional Inte-
gration in a Globalized World:
The case of Southern Africa De-
velopment Community and its
Impact in Mozambique, super-
vised by Prof. Wei Dan. The the-
sis was publicly defended before
a panel made of three profes-
sors, as is standard procedure in
the IBL program. Almeida
Machava’s panel was presided by
full Professor Zeng Lingliang (the
then Dean of the Faculty of Law).
The external main commentator
was Prof. Zhang Ying (Shenzen
University) and, of course, the
thesis supervisor, Professor Wei
Dan in this case, completed the
panel.
Theses discussions held this academic year
Extracurricular activities: rare, but they happen!..
The first three theses in the field of gaming law were
defended in February 2009, by Zhao Xiao (left), Legal
Issues on Lotteries; Zhao Fei (center), A Legal Study of
Casino Credit; and Lu Dongjuan (right), Legal Issues of
Pathological Gambling. All were supervised by Prof.
Jorge Godinho and had Prof. I. Nelson Rose as main
commentator. Zhao Xiao returned to Mainland China,
Zhao Fei stayed and works in Macau in a large law
firm and Lu Dongjuan is a PhD candidate in the Facul-
ty of Law, University of Macau.
The first gaming law generation
Sometimes fresh air is needed. There is plenty of it in the beautiful Coloane island trail (left). Plus squirrels, lizards, butterflies, good views and the occasional snake.
Trade shows are important. Two are part of the annual routine: the Macau International Fair and the G2E Asia gaming exhibition.
Candidate Intake Supervisor Title Main commentator Date
Chen Zhijie 08/09 Prof. Rostam
Neuwirth A Strategy for the Development of Chi-
na's Cultural Industry: A Legal View
Prof. Peter K. Yu, Drake University Law School
10/01/2011
Yu Jiafeng 07/08 Prof. Tu
Guangjian A Study on Economic Hardship
Prof. Michael Tilbury, The University of Hong Kong
12/02/2011
Ke Jiejing 08/09 Prof. Wei Dan
Analysis of Chinese Bilateral Investment Treaties: Focusing on Provisions of Per-formance Requirements and National Treatment
Prof. Zeng Lingliang, Wuhan University
14/04/2011
Lin Min 08/09 Prof. Rostam
Neuwirth
Modernizing the Laws for the Collaterali-zation of Intellectual Property: China in a
World Perspective
Prof. Yoshiyuki Tamu-ra, University of Hok-kaido, Japan
26/04/2011
Zhuo Jing 08/09 Prof. Rostam
Neuwirth
Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Peo-ple's Republic of China: The Example of
the Miao Nationality
Prof. Surya Deva, City University of Hong Kong
07/05/2011
Europe day
The Europe Day reception
The relations between China and the European Union are quite intense
and given the history of Macau it is not surprising to see that Europe Day
is annually celebrated. Various events take place. This year the partici-
pants of the discipline of European Union Trade Law, which come from
both English language master programs, were invited by Prof. Rostam
Neuwirth to attend the official reception in Macau, organized by the
head of the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau, Ma-
ria Castillo Fernandez. The Secretary for Justice and Administration of
the Government of Macau, Florinda Chan, represented the Macau SAR.
Europe Day 2011
Picture day!...
In April of every year all pro-
fessors and students perform
an old ritual in the University
of Macau: they get together to
take ‘official’ pictures. Here
are Prof. Jorge Godinho (left)
and Prof. Rostam Neuwirth
(right) posing with four par-
ticipants of the International
Business Law program in
April 2011. Note that this is
not an ‘official’ picture but
just an informal or casual
side shot…
International Busi-
ness Law newsletter
Issue 1, May 2011
Obviously. Attending the program requires physical presence in Macau for the dura-
tion of the teaching periods; sessions take place at night, starting at 19:00. Some
sessions are held on Saturday mornings. This is an exciting time to be in Macau, a
booming economy with many new opportunities.
FAQ: Do I have to be in Macau?
No. Candidates who hold a non-law degree may be admitted to the postgraduate pro-
gram. Quite a few have been. Studying a lot of legal subjects can be challenging!..
FAQ: is the IBL program only open for lawyers?
Academic details are in the program site (www.umac.mo/fll/ibl); the application proce-
dure and formalities are in the UM’s Registry site (www.umac.mo/reg/). Read both!..
FAQ: Where is the information on how to apply to the IBL program?
A perfect meeting place of East and West
International Business Law master program
Faculty of Law, University of Macau
Coordinator: Prof. Jorge Godinho (jgodinho@umac.mo)
Write to Winnie Tam for details about the IBL program or to re-
ceive this newsletter regularly (winitam@umac.mo)
Or call Winnie at (+853) 839 747 77
WWW.UMAC.MO/FLL/IBL
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