Fukuoka, Japan — Dean Alizedney “Zed” M. Ditucalan battles the cold weather as he begins his 3-year journey for his Doctor of Laws in Kyushu University’s Advanced Program for Legal and Judicial Human Resources Development course.

The scholarship is under the Knowledge Co-Creation Program which is in keeping with the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) mandate. Dean Zed is one of only two grantees in Asia, the other grantee with experience in the Administrative Court of Thailand. Not only that, he is the first Filipino long-term scholar of JICA and also the first Filipino lawyer who will be doing a LL.D on Competition Law.

Dean Zed is not a stranger in Japan. He did his Master of Laws on International Economic and Business Law specializing on Competition Law under the prestigious Young Leader Program of Japan, another first for he was the first grantee from Mindanao. “Competition law is the perfect blend of law and economics,” says Dean Zed. He informed that it was former UP Law Dean, now UP President Danilo L. Concepcion who suggested that he take up Competition Law for it is new in our jurisdiction and only a few lawyers are learned in the field.

“I want the new breed of MSU Law graduates to have [a] more globalized perspective, especially that we are in the amalgamation of the ASEAN Economic Community. MSU Law students have [an] advantage because we also study Shari’ah law,” related the young dean. He further emphasized the relevance of Shari’ah because majority of the population in the ASEAN are Muslim. “But more than that, I want to see our graduates excel not only in the legal profession but also in fostering a culture of rule of law,” he added.

MSU Law Iligan Extension Class’ homegrown Dean, who had his first brush in economics selling ice candies when he was young, continues to break boundaries and pursue excellence. Dean Zed bears the MSU flag with honor and zeal–a great inspiration to all lawyers and aspiring lawyers alike.

Dean Zed with his fellow JICA KCCP scholar, Ohm Kirapak.

Ivy Mae Pantaleon

Ivy is a voracious reader of fiction although law school spared her this habit and instead cultivated in her the love for non-fiction. She finds law very interesting and at times if she were to be truly honest, distressing. Admittedly caught in a quarter-life crisis when she left her engineering profession to pursue law, she finds no regret in such a big leap and continues to find beauty in the intricacies of the law and society, the universe, and beyond. In every endeavor Ivy leaves nothing out–law school is not an exemption. She joined the Debate and Moot Society, participating in various debate and mooting competitions within and outside MSU. She is also the former Editor-in-Chief of The Nexus.