Building bridges in law across borders
Now that Singaporean student Paul Louis Liew has turned his own dream of studying Law into reality at Flinders University, he says he wants to help other Singaporeans do the same.
Mr Liew, who trained in accountancy and worked for several years in Singapore before fulfilling his passion for law by coming to Flinders, believes that by promoting the value of an Australian legal education, he can, over time, encourage hundreds, if not thousands, of students to come to Australia.
“It’s not ‘in your face’, but most of the very prolific lawyers at home are from Singapore or UK Law schools,” he said.
“Part of my aim is to change the perception within the sector and with the parents of students that these countries are not the only good options.
“I also want to excite the Australian legal sector to make contact directly with the Singaporean legal sector and maybe even to set up a presence in Singapore.
“I’d particularly love to drive more students to Flinders University, because Flinders is the only South Australian university whose Law degree is accredited by the Singapore Government.
“I think this demonstrates the strength of Flinders.”
It was only by a twist of fate that Mr Liew, who is Vice President of the Australian Singapore Law Students Society (AUSLSS), ended up in South Australia himself.
After following the more conventional route of applying to study Law in the UK, a string of unsuccessful applications eventually set him on a path for Flinders.
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It was an apparent run of bad luck which, he says, opened the door to great study opportunities, fantastic cultural experiences and a wide range of future possibilities.
“After applying unsuccessfully to the UK, I made one final application to Australian Law schools and got two offers, one from Perth and the other from Flinders,” he said.
“I decided on Flinders because I wanted to be somewhere I could study peacefully and which would be in stark contrast to Singapore. I wanted to see and appreciate a different kind of life.
“In 2010 I decided to take a holiday and visit to see how it felt to be here and what the environment was like.
“I was very kindly put into a conference room where Susan Breau and other lecturers were having a formal discussion about International and Humanitarian Law, and I had a candid conversation with David Bamford, who was the Dean at the time.
“That gave me the confidence I needed, so I came here in 2011.”
His faith in Flinders has, Mr Liew says, been justified on many levels.
“Studying Law at Flinders has taught me about more than just the Law itself,” he said.
“It’s also taught me about resilience and about being vigilant. Most of all, it has taught me about being accountable not only to my lecturers, but also to my peers and to myself.
“Not having been in a legal working environment before, juggling law school and high level extracurricular activities has been challenging in the last four years of my studies.
“I would not say I was perfect before but four years after coming here, I think I’ve learnt how to find the right balance.”
While he has invested much time in building relationships with Australian students, Mr Liew also socialises regularly with his fellow Singaporeans.
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“The Flinders Singapore community is primarily built on Health Science students, and Law students are a tiny minority, but the Law students are very quick to introduce and immerse themselves in the Australian culture and make Australian friends,” he said.
“Within the group of Singaporeans law students there is a tendency for us to hang out within our cohorts, however across the years we often talk and at times help is sought from one another with regard to our studies. We also go out for meals and attend official functions together”
“I think we are all driven by the one common denominator, which is our home – Singapore .”
When Mr Liew’s time at Flinders comes to an end later this month, he says it will be a bitter sweet moment.
“Being away from home for four years takes a toll and you miss your family a lot,” he said.
“During the next few months at home I will spend quality time with my parents, cousins, grand mother and my best friends, who haven’t seen me much over the past few years.
“I will miss my friends at Flinders terribly though, and it is very hard to imagine them not being around.”
Given his existing ties and his plans for further collaboration with the Australian legal sector, it’s difficult to believe that Mr Liew won’t be back soon.
“The world really is my oyster right now,” he said. “I haven’t planned too far ahead but I will be working on ideas and initiatives for my further education as I push for stronger recognition for an Australian legal education in Singapore.
“I’ll also be working to build stronger relationships between the Australian and Singaporean legal sectors and student bodies.
“I have already been working with Flinders’ Careers and Employer Liaison Centre and the International Centre to come up with more ideas to attract and engage the Singaporean community.
“We have created the Singapore Australian Legal Forum (SALF), and I’d love to begin an annual legal training program for Singaporeans across Australia.
“Last Thursday (27 November) I made a presentation to 25 managing partners of South Australian law firms, and one of those firms has already contacted me since.
“I’m not expecting everyone to come on board right away, but we have to start somewhere with partnerships and relationships.
“I believe this is a real opportunity for anyone who is willing to work with me and those others who are passionate about developing such opportunities.”
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