The Asian Law Institute was inaugurated in Singapore on the evening of 21 March
2003 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the founding
institutions. Representatives of seven of the nine original founding institutions were
present at the event, which was held at the historic City Hall Chambers in downtown
Singapore.
The event was attended by The Honourable the Chief Justice of Singapore
Mr. Yong Pung How, the President of the National University of Singapore Professor
Shih Choon Fong and representatives from the Embassies and High Commissions of
the countries represented in ASLI as well as members of Singapore’s legal fraternity.
Earlier in the day, the inaugural meeting of the ASLI Board of Governors was held at
the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS). At the meeting, the
delegates discussed the objectives and future programmes of ASLI and agreed on the
text of the Memorandum of Understanding.
In his address at the launch of ASLI, Dean Tan Cheng Han of the NUS Faculty of Law
explained the objectives of ASLI and expressed his vision for ASLI in the context of
an increasingly globalised world. It was envisaged by its founding institutions that
ASLI would become a forum in Asia not only for scholars of Asia, but anyone in the
world with an interest in Asia.
The inauguration was followed by cocktails and dinner at the restaurant of the
adjoining Singapore Academy of Law.
Speech by Dean Tan Cheng Han at the inauguration of ASLI
![Speech by Dean Tan Cheng Han](images/download_on_12.jpg)
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Representatives of the founding institutions at the meeting of the ASLI Board of Governors
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Representatives of the founding institutions signing the Memorandum of Understanding |
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Dean Tan Cheng Han from the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, addressing the
guests at the ASLI inauguration |
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Among the guests at the inauguration were members of Singapore's judiciary and diplomatic corps |
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Guests at the reception following the inauguration of ASLI included
the Honourable the Chief Justice of Singapore (left, facing camera) |
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Dean Ago
(Faculty of Law, Kyushu University),
Prof. Shih Choon Fong, President of the
National University of Singapore and Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large
Prof. Tommy Koh |
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The representatives from the founding institutions with invited guests after the ASLI inauguration |