Associate Professor Jean Ho to be first Asian Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Economic Law

Associate Professor Jean Ho ’03 has been appointed as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the prestigious Journal of International Economic Law (JIEL), becoming the first Asian to assume the role in the journal’s nearly 30-year history.

A top-tier academic publication published by Oxford University Press (OUP), the JIEL was founded in 1998 and is the leading peer-reviewed journal for doctrinal, empirical, theoretical and cross-disciplinary research on international economic law. The journal’s prestige is tied to its rigorous peer-review process and its historical leadership—it was founded by the late eminent Professor John H. Jackson, often called the “Father of the WTO”—and it is frequently cited by international tribunals and the WTO Secretariat.

As EIC, Assoc Prof Ho will play a key role as a gatekeeper for quality manuscripts that would advance JIEL’s strong reputation as the leading platform for thoughtful and impactful scholarship that defines, develops and reimagines international economic law. Her term will start in June 2026 and run for five years, with the option to extend for another five years on the agreement of OUP and Assoc Prof Ho.

She said, “I am delighted to serve the international academic community and to work closely with the JIEL Boards and with Oxford University Press, all while flying the NUS Law and Singapore flags high.”

Immense responsibility accompanies the immense privilege that comes with the role, as it would “repeatedly and rigorously test one’s ability to focus on the only thing that matters—the merits of a submitted manuscript”, said Assoc Prof Ho. Articles and review essays in JIEL address the traditional pillars of international economic law, such as international trade and international investment, and also systems of economic interaction, such as digital technologies, that often occur outside the traditional international economic regime.

Assoc Prof Ho has been a member of the JIEL Editorial Board and a Book Review Editor since 2021. She said, “I was keen to serve the international academic community in a more significant way while learning how to be a more integral part of such a well-run system, so when the call for EIC applications was announced, I decided to put my name in the hat.”

The process put more than 30 applicants through multiple rounds of review by both the Editorial and Advisory Boards, including an Editor-in-Chief Advisory Committee established for this purpose. OUP further narrowed the shortlist and made the final decision on the basis of voting results and interviews. The entire process took about five months, from September 2025 to January 2026.

Professor Lynette Chua, Vice-Dean of Research at NUS Law, said of the appointment, “We are extremely proud of Assoc Prof Ho’s achievement. Her appointment serves as a strong validation of her scholarship and of NUS Law’s standing as a global powerhouse in legal research.”