Introduction

The institute of international maritime law (IIML) was established in 1998 by Law School of Dalian Maritime University to foster research and scholarly discussion on international maritime law. In April 2005, the Institute was appraised as “Key Provincial Base of Social and Humanity” by the Education Department of Liaoning Province. The Institute sets up the following five sub-institutes and one training center,

• Center of Maritime Law, 

• Center of Admiralty, 

• Center of Marine Insurance Law, 

• Center of Public Law at Sea 

• Center of Law for Maritime Claims Settlement.

The Institute aims at assembling and cultivating elites of International Maritime Law; develops research in the forefront of subjects and the main theoretical and practical legal issues emerged during the development of social economy; provides an open stage for academic exchanges. Since the establishment of the Institute, it has carried out over 200 projects which were funded by the National Social Science Fund, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Communication and Transportation, and the Liaoning Province Social Science Fund. The institute also provides a large number of legal consulting services for the Supreme People' s Court, the State Oceanic Administration, the Maritime Safety Administration of PRC, COSCO and other shipping companies, insurance companies and banks.

The Institute has been established to promote and foster cooperation with academic institution in different countries and regions including the UK, the USA, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan etc. By inviting the experts and scholars well-known at home and abroad, organizing international and national academic conferences, the Institute plays a significant role to provide a stage for academic exchanges.

Objectives

The Institute's goal is to broaden the horizon of legal knowledge and to contribute to the betterment of the innovation of legal education. The Institute extends knowledge and understanding of different legal systems by encouraging academic exchanges and research. The specific objectives of the Institute are as follows:

• to encourage, facilitate and organize research projects on issues concerning domestic maritime law and international maritime law

• to host conferences independently and/or jointly with other institutions and bodies on maritime law

• to organize on a regular basis seminars 

to establish new academic links with local and overseas institutions interested in domestic maritime law and international maritime law

Research Focus

In addition to its research on various issues relating to international maritime law, the Institute is committed to conducting in-depth comparative research in Domestic maritime law.

• Comparative research of Chinese and foreign admiralty and maritime law

• International maritime conventions and international shipping organizations

• Research on the shipping policy and regulations, maritime administrative regulations and problems of law enforcement 

• Marine environmental protection and compensation for pollution 

• Legal issues of ship construction, registration and sale

• Legal issues of ship financing lease

• The relationship between the crew law and Maritime labour law

• Law and regulations of shipping services trade 

• Maritime criminal and relative international criminal law

Legal consulting services

• Drafting relevant legislation and policy documents or providing modification and perfection suggestions 

• Providing legal services for Maritime litigation and arbitration

• Drafting relevant contracts or providing modification and perfection suggestions

• Translating maritime conventions, law, regulations, maritime contracts and etc.

• Providing training of admiralty and maritime theory and practice