New Perimeter, DLA Piper's nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in underserved regions around the world, conducted an online three-day training on special economic zones (SEZ) for the University of Western Cape.
The virtual course was held from June 3-5 for 16 graduate law students from across Africa who are earning a master's degree (LLM) in international trade and investment law. New Perimeter designed the course to train students on SEZ as a tool for attracting foreign direct investment and increasing development. This marks the ninth year that a global team from DLA Piper has delivered the course, which runs on alternate years at the University of Pretoria and the University of Western Cape.
''It was intellectually challenging for me to speak to a group of graduate law students about an economics topic such as attracting foreign direct investment in Africa via production in SEZ,'' shared Sandra Bell (Washington, DC). ''It was also morally fulfilling to discuss examples of 'win-wins' from long-term foreign direct investments that support environmental preservation and human development within the continent of Africa and with the legal support of the World Trade Organization, World Customs Organization and the African Continental Free Trade Area.''
''Participating in the New Perimeter course on SEZ has been an extremely gratifying, but also an eye-opening experience, both on a personal and professional level,'' said Martin Schaefermeier (Washington, DC). ''Interacting with the students allows me to understand and incorporate their unique points of view in my presentation. The experience has been incredibly positive and I am grateful to the New Perimeter team, the students and Professor Riekie Wandrag from the University of Western Cape for the privilege of being able to participate in this extraordinary program.''
"I rate the input from New Perimeter very highly. They provide the knowledge, coupled with very real experience, that no amount of pure academic teaching can compare with," said Professor Wandrag. "We aim to not only provide knowledge, but to develop skills and an awareness of what they may face in their future careers."
The interactive course is designed to expose students to the concepts and mechanics of SEZ, including their benefits and constraints as policy tools, and to encourage critical thought about the legal, policy and regulatory issues in international trade and foreign investment. The course incorporates real life examples and equips students with tools and knowledge to act as future trade and policy advisors in their home countries.
"The course training on SEZ coordinated and delivered by New Perimeter was very educative and insightful. Beyond giving me a grasp of theoretical aspects of SEZ, it provided insights into important factors including planning, collaboration as well as legal and regulatory frameworks that can influence the success of an SEZ," said a student from the training. "The assignment which we were required to complete after the training further afforded me the opportunity to engage with the course materials and lectures. With the knowledge acquired from the course training, I can make meaningful recommendations through research on how my home country can improve its SEZ scheme."
In addition to Sandra and Martin, the DLA Piper team that participated in the training included Erik Stier (Washington, DC), Jeffrey Sheehy, Sarah Griffiths (both Brisbane), Lungelo Magubane and Jamie MacDonald (both Johannesburg).
