RWU Law and University of Lisbon Forge Academic Partnership to Expand Global Legal Learning
Dean Gregory W. Bowman taught an intensive international trade course in Lisbon, marking the start of a new academic collaboration that will open student and faculty exchange opportunities between Rhode Island and Portugal.
Roger Williams University School of Law is furthering its international reach and educational mission through an emerging collaboration with Portugal’s esteemed Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa (Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon - FD ULisboa).
In late October, RWU Law Dean Gregory W. Bowman travelled to Lisbon to teach an intensive course titled “International Trade Regulation: Global Rules, New Challenges” at FD ULisboa. This follows an earlier visit to Lisbon this academic year by RWU Law Professor Monica Teixeira de Sousa, who taught an intensive course on U.S. housing-law topics under the institution’s Erasmus-style exchange program.
Image above shows, from left to right, Dr. Arndt Künnecke of the German School of Public Administration, Professor Vasco Pereira da Silva of the University of Lisbon School of Law, and RWU Law Dean Gregory W. Bowman.
According to FD ULisboa’s own news release, during his visit, Dean Bowman and FD ULisboa’s leadership—including Professor Vasco Pereira da Silva—committed to signing a cooperation agreement that would enable the reciprocal exchange of two to three master’s and doctoral students per year, as well as faculty exchanges. The two institutions also began discussions to launch a joint summer course in Lisbon, bringing together students and faculty from both Rhode Island and Portugal.
Dean Bowman, who, before his academic appointment, practiced international trade and corporate-compliance law in Chicago and Washington D.C., noted the value of forging such connections: “FD ULisboa has an imposing law school … its faculty members have long served as national leaders and government ministers.” The intense interest in deeper ties with RWU Law opens a promising pathway for shared learning, mobility, and innovation in global legal education.
This bilateral program aligns with RWU Law’s strategic vision to prepare students for the increasingly global character of the legal profession, offering immersive international experiences and partnerships with institutions of global calibre.