Madan Pokhrel

International Business and Commercial Law LLM

Why did you choose this course?

I chose the LLM in International Business and Commercial Law because it is closely related to the policy field. I was working before joining the course, and I believe international commerce and trade are the key factors of contemporary national policy.

What has been the highlight of your course so far? 

I have chosen Global Economic and World Trade Law, Transnational Corporate Law, International Investment Law and Commercial Arbitration.

Global Economic and World Trade Law focusses on WTO GATT provisions, International Monetary Law. Transnational Corporate Law has provided me with knowledge on how national and multinational corporate works in a different jurisdiction.

International Investment Law module covers the law and practice of foreign investment regulation and their critical evaluation, including different dimensions and development in investment dispute resolution.

The International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation module has dealt with different approaches to alternative dispute resolutions, including online arbitration.

Most importantly, all courses are focused on critical analysis and the development of reasoning skills. For this a wide range of academic articles and other recourses were recommended to support my studies

What has been the most challenging part of your course so far? 

To find out the appropriate trend among diverse practices of states nationally and internationally. For example, the impact of domestic law is inevitable in international business/corporate governance/transaction, and states have adopted different approaches. So, it is an arduous task to gauge them in a definite way which was the most challenging part of the study.

However, the lectures were focused on major jurisdictions, but as an international student, I wanted to compare them with my domestic practices. 

How would you describe your student experience so far, particularly as an international student? 

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? 

I am the Head of Postgraduate Representatives, which involves collecting feedback from cohorts and discussing this with Course Directors, Programme Directors, and the Teaching and Learning Board.  

I strongly recommend to look for opportunities like this because it enhances leadership skills.

Do you have any tips for prospective students?

The course starts from the basic level but it accelerates quickly so I suggest to future postgraduate students to think about the dissertation from the beginning of the course.  

The Academic Success Programme is very effective; I highly recommend international students participate. Also, students may find that the exam period is very tense. I would advise that they highlight, and create notes from the beginning of their studies.