School of Law

Research Strategy & Policy

Research activity is a central feature of the School of Law as there is a close link between the reputation of the School and its commitment to excellence in research and teaching. The School’s research strategy is thus motivated by the desire to improve its national and international profile as research active institution.

Under the umbrella of excellence therefore the research strategy aims to achieve the following:

• To improve the quality of research by its staff. In addition to being an objective in itself, raising the quality of research in the School is geared to improving on our last Research Assessment Exercise rating of 3A. The School thus aims at encouraging critical and original research and writing by its staff - both of a national and international standard.
• To provide the necessary support for academic staff. This is done in a variety of ways. There is a transparent sabbaticals policy in the School where, subject to resources, the School approves sabbatical leave for at least one member of staff each semester. While on sabbatical leave, staff are encouraged to affiliate themselves with Universities and other research institutes. The aim here is to encourage the development of intellectual relationships between the School of Law and other institutions.
• To provide financial and other support to staff for research purposes. This support varies from assistance to attend conferences, to financial support for the pursuit of research degrees. Financial support is provided both to research active staff and new researchers.
• To provide support for research active staff through the utilization of post-graduate students in the School of Law as research assistants. Taking cognizance of its thriving post-graduate department, the School relies on post-graduate students to serve as research assistants. The School has instituted a Graduate Intern scheme for this purpose. Graduate research assistants are to provide research and administrative support for members of staff working engaged in intellectual inquiry. This scheme also enhances the employability of our post-graduate students as it improves their research skills.

The School encourages the development of research centres and research groups. Currently, there is Centre on Human Rights in Conflict (CHRG) and the Law and Development Research Group (LDRG). The CHRC is an interdisciplinary centre promoting policy-relevant research and events aimed at developing greater knowledge of areas in which human rights are in conflict in a variety of ways. The LDRG aims to promote research and scholarship on the interface between law and socio-economic development. Both the CHRC and the LDRG organize seminars and talks on areas that fall within the scope of their research objectives. There is also active collaboration between the School’s members of staff and the University’s Refugees Research Centre. Other forms of collaboration exist between the School and other Universities, non-governmental organizations, human rights groups and the media.

The Law School encourages research degree applications from students from a variety of disciplines. Aware of the importance that research degrees make to an institutions’ research profile, the School has always seen research students as an important and integral part of its research strategy. Staff can supervise dissertations in a range of subjects including international economic law, international human rights, women and the law, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, criminology, criminal justice and land law.

A Research Committee exists to formulate, monitor and review the research strategy. Comprised of seven members of staff who are fully representative of the School, the Research Committee receives and considers applications for sabbatical leave; it plays a role in providing research funds to members of staff and generally oversees the development of a thriving research culture in the School of Law. The School also has a Research Degrees Committee and this body plays a role in the admission of research students and the allocation of their supervisors.

K.O.Kufuor
Head of Research

UEL HOMESEARCH UEL