PPA: Professor Wai-Fung LAM
Law: Professor Peter CHAU, Professor Trevor WAN
Since 1999, the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Government and Laws) & Bachelor of Laws (BSocSc (Govt & Laws) & LLB), jointly offered by the Department of Politics and Public Administration and the Department of Law at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has brought forth cohort after cohort of outstanding lawyers in public and private practice, government administrative officers (AOs), professors, business professionals, and leaders of the non-profit sector. The programme’s mission is to educate principled leaders who would advance the public interest and the rule of law by offering innovative solutions to problems confronting our society and beyond.
Why Government and Laws?
Government and laws naturally go together. Politics gives rise to laws, and laws supply the framework through which public policy is debated, made, and enforced. The most important developments in our present age regularly feature the intersection of government and laws, be it nuclear disarmament, global trade disputes, transnational terrorism, regional conflicts, human rights abuses, and constitutional reform. It is virtually impossible for anyone interested in a career in law, public service, international service, transnational commerce and business, and nongovernmental organisations to stand out of the crowd nowadays without a grasp of the principles and practice of government and laws.
HKU Government and Laws has a distinct educational approach. Unlike the stand-alone law degree, it draws on multiple disciplines such as comparative politics, political philosophy, international relations, and public administration to nurture top-notch thinkers who are competent at attacking legal and social problems from all angles. It provides its students with great flexibility. Government and Laws students enjoy the flexible option of graduating with an BSocSc (Govt&Laws) degree in 4 years, or an BSocSc (Govt & Laws) & LLB double degree in 5 years.
The Department of Politics and Public Administration and Faculty of Law at HKU are consistently ranked among the top in Asia and worldwide. Becoming an HKU Government and Laws student means having access to over 100 international experts on law and/or politics, many of whom conduct state-of-the-art research into how societies should be organised and governed.
Tuition fees for the first four years of studies will be the same as the standard fees for other undergraduate programmes (the fee for 2021-2022 is HK$42,100 per year). For the optional year(s) of studies for the LLB, tuition fees will be set at a level higher than the standard fees.