The Department has an unrivalled concentration of specialists in the laws of Asian and African countries, with additional areas of expertise in the areas of comparative law, human rights, transnational commercial law, environmental law, international law and socio-legal method. Lecturers in the Department maintain close links with professional practice and frequently have first-hand knowledge of the latest developments in business, government and international organisations. Intensive study of a wide range of Arabic language and literature is a compulsory feature of combined-honours degrees in Arabic. Students are required to spend the third year of study at a university in the Middle East.