Dean Johnson Travels to Chile to Facilitate Global Partnerships

Chile Group PhotographDean Kevin R. Johnson led a UC Davis School of Law delegation to Santiago, Chile on November 4-9 to meet with Chilean leaders, facilitate faculty and student exchange programs with Chilean law schools, and attend the Association of Pacific Rim Universities 2012 Law Deans Meeting.  Accompanied by Executive Director of International Programs Beth Greenwood '91 and UC Davis-Chile Program Director Jorge Rojas LL.M. '93, Dean Johnson worked to expand the longstanding partnership between the Republic of Chile and UC Davis, initiate new relationships between King Hall and law schools in Chile and other nations, and increase the opportunities available to King Hall students and faculty.

In addition to meeting with Chilean alumni of King Hall's Academic Year LL.M., Masters in International Commercial Law, and other international programs, Dean Johnson and the delegation met with dignitaries including the U.S. Ambassador to Chile Alejandro Wolff (who spoke at King Hall on November 13), Chilean officials including Minister of the Economy Pablo Longueira, Undersecretary Tomas Flores, and Minister of Justice Teodor Ribera.  The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss areas of common interest and opportunities for collaborative initiatives.

Dean Johnson also met with officials from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and individuals involved in overseeing the Chile-University of California Partnership, a plan to collaborate on a wide range of educational initiatives that was formalized in 2008 when Chilean President Michelle Bachelet visited UC Davis to sign several Memoranda of Understanding.  That same year, UC Davis School of Law initiated a partnership with Universidad de Chile School of Law that has enabled Professors Peter Lee and Richard Frank to visit the Chilean school and allowed for King Hall to host several Chilean student and faculty exchanges.

Also part of the visit were meetings with law school deans including Dean Robert Nahum of the Universidad de Chile and his law school faculty and center directors, Dean Roberto Guerrero of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and Dean Juan Vargas of Universidad Diego Portales, in which they discussed potential activities including student and faculty exchanges and conferences.  Dean Johnson and the delegation also attended the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Law Deans Meeting 2012 at the Universidad de Chile.  Dean Nahum was an extraordinarily gracious host and gave special recognition to Dean Johnson and King Hall.  UC Davis School of Law was the only American law school represented at the conference, which drew administrators and faculty from law schools in Australia, China, Germany, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Indonesia, Spain, the Philippines, India, and Costa Rica. 

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