My name is Dr. Didem Light. I am a full professor at Istanbul Commerce University, Faculty of Law, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Istanbul is the only city in the world to sit across two continents which is straddling both Europe and Asia. Through the city’s heart, the Bosphorus Strait, course the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. The Bosphorus Strait is a unique waterway providing not only a bridge between Europe and Asia continents but also hosting constant sea transport on an international basis. The Bosphorus hosts approximately 43.000 vessels in a year. As I grew up close by the Bosphorus, the sea has always been my interest. After graduating from the faculty of law in 1994, I worked at one of the major shipping companies in Istanbul to understand international trade and maritime transportation. That period gave me a big chance and opened a new perspective academically, so I could focus on some of the specific international legal maritime law issues, such as container transportation, ship mortgage, general average, collision at sea, marine insurance and international polar transportation.
International trade is based is on transportation; for that reason, the conventions and treaties are a very important part of the living law as well as developed nations’ practice and court decisions. So, I am very excited to be at Osgoode Law Faculty, since I will have a chance to reach more sources, share experiences and collaborate with a diverse group of professors and students.
I would like to express my thanks and admiration for York University, Osgoode Hall Law School, and its associates for providing this opportunity.