NUS Law faculty members weigh in on Asian law at ASLI Conference

Since the inaugural Asian Law Institute (ASLI) Conference in 2004, which was spearheaded by NUS Law, the annual event has been hosted in turn by ASLI’s founding partner institutions that constitute leading law schools in Asia. This year’s conference was held at the East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) in Shanghai, with several of our faculty in attendance, bringing their research to bear on the theme of “Discourses of Rule of Law: Asia’s Narratives”.

As reported in China Daily, the leading English language newspaper in China, the 22^nd Annual Asian Law Institute Conference held at the Changning campus from 28-29 May 2025 brought together over 160 scholars and experts from around the world to examine contemporary legal issues and engage in meaningful dialogue that aim to advance the rule of law, as well as champion justice and equity, within the region and beyond. Subject areas covered included environmental law, banking and finance, criminal law, information technology law and legal education.

Co-organised by the ASLI Secretariat based in NUS Law—headed by Co-Directors Kelry Loi and Wee Meng Seng (both Associate Professors at NUS Law)—and the ECUPL team led by Professor Wu Qiaofang (Director of International Exchange Center, and Dean of International School), the event marked a junction at which 105 individual papers by esteemed scholars were presented, with another six pre-arranged panel sessions covering an additional 18 papers.

The NUS Law faculty members who congregated at the event to share their research through presentations and panel discussions included Professor Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, Associate Professor Jaclyn Neo ’03, Assistant Professor Dian Shah, Associate Professor Arif Jamal and Adjunct Professor Kevin Tan. Their expertise covered a broad spectrum, including topics such as “Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: Singapore’s Narratives”, “Educating for the Rule of Law, Challenges and Opportunities for Law Faculties in the Asian Century”, and “Pluralist Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law”.

“As Asian economies develop, people are starting to realise the value in learning about Asian perspectives. We see more mutual understanding and mutual exchanges rather than a one-way lecture. That’s a profound change that has occurred over the last 20 to 30 years,” said Associate Professor Kelry Loi, who underscored the potential for collaboration in his opening address.

Including its 16 founding member institutions, ASLI member institutions now count more than 70 law schools from all over the world in their ranks: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Latin America Australia and New Zealand.

In his closing address, Associate Professor Loi shared his vision. “For at least two hundred years, the economies of Asia have been underdeveloped, as compared to the advanced economies of Europe and North America. When we say that Asia will rise this century, we expect—we hope—that the economies of the developing nations in Asia would continue to develop, emerge from poverty and, hopefully, become advanced economies.”

At its conclusion, the flagship ASLI event once again proved to be a forum for outstanding scholarship and demonstrated the collective commitment to advancing knowledge and ideas about law and justice in the diverse and fascinating region.

Next year, the 23rd ASLI Annual Conference will be hosted in June 2026 by Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Law, in Jakarta, on the theme of “Empowering Asia’s Rise: Legal Knowledge for Sustainability, Justice and Regional Integration”.

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ABOUT ASLI

The Asian Law Institute (ASLI) was established in 2003 through the efforts of several leading Asian law schools to foster Asian legal scholarship and to facilitate greater interaction amongst legal scholars (in and outside Asia) working on Asian law.

ASLI is an association of more than 70 law schools (including its 16 founding member institutions) from all over the world. The representatives of its 16 founding member institutions (including, for example, NUS Law; ECUPL; the University of Tokyo, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics; Peking University Law School; Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Law) sit on ASLI’s Board of Governors. The National University of Singapore, which led the initiative, continues to provide administrative and financial support for ASLI, including hosting its Secretariat at the NUS Law School.

Each year, ASLI organises one of the largest annual conferences focusing on Asian law. The 16 founding member institutions take turns to host the annual flagship conference, with support from the Secretariat; and the event is held in Singapore every four years.