EDOLAD's aim is to improve the range and quality of higher education in the fields of law and development
South Africa’s developmental requirements are not being adequately addressed, resulting in an ever-growing backlog of unfulfilled needs. It is a conundrum facing many developing countries.
“It is imperative that we learn as much from developed countries as we possibly can as we need research that can make a real difference at grass-roots level,” says Professor Gerrit Pienaar of the Faculty of Law at the North-West University.
“The role that law plays in the context of development cannot be overstated. It is through this field of study that we can identify local needs and contribute to alleviating them through knowledge-based decision making.”
How is this knowledge gained? Enter the EDOLAD project.
The EDOLAD project, a first for law faculties in the country, is based on an agreement between the law faculties of Tilburg, Edinburgh, Oslo, Deusto (Spain), Tartu (Estonia) and the North-West University to present a joint PhD Law and Development programme.
The overall aim of the EDOLAD programme is to improve the range and quality of higher education in the field of law and development, and contribute to the need for locally defined, knowledge-driven expertise about law and development.
EDOLAD includes a unique and innovative programme and core curriculum that moves postgraduate education in the field of law and development forward. By combining a core curriculum with skills training, a compulsory fieldwork element, stakeholder communication training and induction into a network of programme stakeholders, EDOLAD creates a unique innovation this field of education.
“We, both as a university and as a faculty, have an obligation to the community we serve. Part of that entails learning new approaches to implement in our greater community. It is a privilege and a duty we don’t take lightly,” says Pienaar.
One of the faculty’s most promising PhD students, Hennie Coetzee, is already in Tilburg while two of the faculty’s top lecturers, Dr Anel Terblanche and Professor Elmien du Plessis, presented modules during April and May in Tilburg.
The project is funded by the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus fund.