On 29 December 2016 the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law had a pleasure of hosting Prof. Geraint Howells,  Chair Professor of Commercial Law and Dean of the Law School at City University of Hong Kong. Prof. Howells is also a barrister at Gough Square Chambers, London and former President of the International Association of Consumer Law. He previously held chairs at Sheffield, Lancaster and Manchester and has been head of law schools at Lancaster and Manchester. His books include Comparative Product Liability, Consumer Product Safety, Consumer Protection Law, EC Consumer Law, Product Liability, European Fair Trading Law, Handbook of Research on International Consumer Law and The Tobacco Challenge. He has undertaken extensive consultancy work for the EU and UK government as well as for NGOs.

The purpose of Prof. Howells visit to the Belgrade Faculty of Law was to further develop the cooperation that has recently been established between the University of Belgrade and City University of Hong Kong. During his stay he had a meeting with the Dean of the Law Faculty Prof. Sima Avramović and Vice-Dean Ass. Prof. Milena Djordjević where future joint projects were discussed including the participation of the City University of Hong Kong School of Law students at the upcoming X Belgrade Open Pre-Moot, cooperation with the Student Economic Law Review, possible scholarships for Belgrade doctoral students for their research in Hong Kong, joint degree programs, joint research programs etc. His visit also included meetings with Ass. Prof. Marija Karanikić and Ass. Prof. Tatjana Jovanić with whom some of the future projects were discussed. During his stay, Prof. Howells was accompanied with Ass. Prof. Mateja Djurović, an alumni of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law who currently teaches at the Law School at City University of Hong Kong, to whom the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law is sincerely grateful for all his efforts in bringing the two law faculties together.

Among the activities undertaken during his visit of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Howells gave a lecture on Product Liability in Comparative Perspective within the auspices of the Faculty’s General Seminar. Although the lecture was scheduled at the very end of the fall semester, the relevance of the topic and the high reputation of the speaker attracted a large audience of students (both undergraduate and graduate) and professors and provoked a lengthy discussion after the lecture. Prof. Howells’ presentation can be accessed here.