12 July 2012

NUS is First University in Asia-Pacific region to host Biennial Conference on International Economic Law

The National University of Singapore (NUS) becomes the first university in the Asia-Pacific region to host the biennial conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL). Hosted by the Centre for International Law (CIL) at NUS and the NUS Faculty of Law (NUS Law), the third biennial conference will be held at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus from 12 to 14 July 2012.

SIEL is the leading global association of international economic lawyers. SIEL's membership includes academics and practitioners from all over the world in fields such as world trade law, investment law, international intellectual property (IP) law and international financial regulation. SIEL's members, both distinguished experts and a growing number of young and emerging scholars, hail from both developed and developing countries in all the six inhabited continents.

The London-based SIEL selected NUS and Singapore to host its biennial conference for the first time. SIEL's Executive Vice President, Associate Professor Colin Picker, explained why NUS was chosen, "While CIL is a new centre, it has quickly established itself as one of the leading global centres for trade and investment law, while NUS Law is one of the best law schools in the world and brings to the table a level of professionalism and depth almost unmatched in the world. In addition, Singapore's vital role in the development of the region, bridging the divide between the West and the East, also offers members unparalleled exposure to that critical interaction."

Past SIEL host cities were Barcelona in Spain (University of Barcelona, 2010) and Geneva in Switzerland (Institute of International and Development Studies, 2008).

Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of NUS Law, who delivered the welcome message at the opening of the Conference, noted, "Singapore has always been a hub for the trade of goods; this conference shows that it is now also a hub for trading in ideas. Around 250 participants have come from all corners of the globe, representing over 150 different institutions from over 50 countries. We have significant contingents from Africa, the Americas, and Europe, as well as from all over Asia and Oceania. Their deliberations will shape future research and policy innovations in international economic law."

Associate Professor Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of Trade and Investment Law & Policy, CIL and the WTO Chair for Singapore, added, "With the gravitational shift in global trade and investments towards Asia over the last decade, it is timely that one of the major forums for thought leadership in international economic law is now held in Singapore. This allows more Asian voices to participate in the debates. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for some who may be visiting Asia for the first time to better appreciate the context of Asian developing countries, which is often different than that of Europe or the US."

The three-day gathering in Singapore will focus on international economic law issues ranging from trade to investment, financial regulation to intellectual property, including focused examinations of regional issues in China, Latin America and Africa.

For the programme and other information on the SIEL Conference 2012, please visit http://cil.nus.edu.sg/siel2012/.

For more information on the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), please visit http://www.sielnet.org/