A new programme, the International Law and Policy Research Programme (ILPRP), has been developed as part of a two-day workshop organised by the College of Law and Public Policy (CLPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), it was announced yesterday.
The workshop dealt with public-private partnership approaches for financing energy infrastructure projects.
Joining with global energy experts, professors and administrators from CLPP, the workshop examined how public-private partnerships could offer opportunities for private sector developers, financiers and entrepreneurs to unlock new business opportunities in Qatar’s energy sector, HBKU said in a statement.
The founding dean of CLPP, Professor Clinton W Francis, said the new programme developed for CLPP would benefit both the college and Qatar. “One important outcome of this workshop is the launch of our International Law and Policy Research Programme. The ILPRP will play a strategic role in enabling information exchange between international academics and the energy industry in Qatar,” he explained.
Prof Francis noted that the college was uniquely situated to bring together experts and practitioners in the area of energy law.
“The strength of our faculty and programmes in priority areas such as international and comparative law, energy, infrastructure, and sustainable development will provide strong support for the robust realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030,” he said.
The workshop was chaired by Dr Damilola S Olawuyi, associate professor of energy and environmental law at CLPP.
The workshop was led by experts in international energy law and policy, including Prof Bassam Fattouh, director, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, University of Oxford; Prof Raphael Heffron, chair in Global Energy Law and Sustainability, University of Dundee; Prof Yinka Omorogbe, attorney general and minister for justice, Edo State Government of Nigeria and former board secretary and general counsel, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Prof Ibironke Odumosu-Ayanu, associate professor, College of Law, University of Saskatchewan; and Prof Seline Trevisanut, professor and chair of International Law and Sustainability, Utrecht University.
The roundtable discussions at the workshop included representatives from Qatar’s legal community who specialise in commercial and energy fields. Among the participants were Mohamed Essa al-Mannai, general counsel, Qatar Petroleum; Judith Risstrom, general counsel, Qatar Shell, Doha; Fahad al-Kuwari, head of energy policy at the Ministry of Energy and Industry, Qatar; Howard Bevan, senior energy adviser, the Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development, Doha, Qatar; William Cattan from Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners; Gabriel Onagoruwa, White and Case LLP; Dr Mohamed Evren Tok, assistant professor in public policy, HBKU College of Islamic Studies, as well as technical experts from the Qatar Society of Engineers.
Professor Clinton W Francis with professors and administrators from CLPP as well as global energy experts.
