ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 12 June)—The Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) forged a pact Tuesday for a partnership and launched the offering of the first Master of Laws (LL.M.) program in the Zamboanga Peninsula that begins in August.
AdZU Vice President for Academic Affairs Fr. Rene Tacastacas, S.J., shakes hands with AdMU School of Law Dean Jose Maria Hofileña following the signing of a memorandum of agreement by officials of the two Ateneo universities on the offering of a Master of Laws program. Others in the photo are AdZU President Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal, S.J., Dean Cora Montemor, and Director Amparita Sta. Maria. Photo courtesy of AdZU
The AdZU Rosendo U. Castillo Jr. College of Law (RUCJ COL) and the AdMU School of Law (often referred to as Ateneo Law School or ALS) signed a memorandum of agreement for the launching of the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program at the AdZU’s Salvador Campus here.
AdZU President Guillrey Anthony Andal, S.J., said in his speech that the course offering is a part of the Jesuit mission in quality education, especially since there is no school in the region that offers the degree. Lawyers have to travel to Manila or Cebu to take the course, which is offered in a handful of schools like the University of the Philippines, San Beda College, Manuel L. Quezon University, University of Santo Tomas, and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, all in Metro Manila, and the University of Southern Philippines in Cebu City.
While the enrollment is to be done and classes to be held in AdZU, the faculty members come from the AdMU School of Law, who will travel to Zamboanga for the person-to-person classes. Thus, the students are officially enrolled under AdMU, according to AdZU communications officer Leah Panaguiton.
The curriculum, as explained by AdMU program officer Ryan Jeremiah Quan, covers a course work to include basic courses, major courses, elective courses, and research.
The basic courses include fundamentals of thesis writing, methods of research, seminar on comparative legal studies, and contemporary development in International Law, said Quan.
In the course of the four semesters, the Master of Laws program will offer International Human Rights Law, with most elective courses on dispute resolution, Quan said.
Signing the agreement for AdZU were Fr. Andal, Fr. Rene Tacastacas, S.J. (vice president for higher education), and lawyer Cora Montemor (College of Law dean); and on the side of AdMU were lawyer Jose Maria Hofileña (School of Law dean), and lawyer Amparita Sta. Maria (director of the Graduate Legal Studies Institute).
The launch of the Master of Laws program was “designed to advance legal practice in the region,” with Zamboangueño lawyers able to pursue their LL.M. degree at AdMU without having to travel to attend classes in ALS’ Makati campus, Panaguiton said.
This program allows its enrollees to take a dual degree grant at international partner
universities of AdMU, she added. (Frencie L. Carreon / MindaNews)