Dear ALSA member schools,
As the term of the present board of governors draws to a close on 31 January 2026, I write to provide an overview of ALSA’s activities over its term.
Board of Governors
The present board comprises the following Governors:
President
• Professor TAN Cheng Han (National University of Singapore)
Secretary-General
• Associate Professor TAN Zhong Xing (National University of Singapore)
Members (in alphabetical order of member institutions)
1) Professor LIN Feng (City University of Hong Kong)
2) Professor Sudhir KRISHNASWAMY (National Law School of India University, Bangalore)
3) Professor PENG Chengxin (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
4) Professor LEE Pey Woan (Singapore Management University)
5) Professor ZHOU Guangquan (Tsinghua University)
6) Professor FU Hualing (University of Hong Kong)
7) Professor Andrew LYNCH (University of New South Wales)
8) Professor CHEN Chih-Hsiung Thomas (Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)
9) Professor Ki Beom LEE (Yonsei University)
From 1 February 2026, the following persons will make up the board:
1) Professor LIN Feng (City University of Hong Kong)
2) Professor Sudhir KRISHNASWAMY (National Law School of India University, Bangalore)
3) Professor Andrew SIMESTER (National University of Singapore)
4) Professor Tan Cheng Han (National University of Singapore) (as Immediate Past President)
5) Associate Professor Dr. Supreeya KAEWLA-IAD (Thammasat University)
6) Professor ZHOU Guangquan (Tsinghua University)
7) Professor CUI Guobin (Tsinghua University)
8) Professor Andrew LYNCH (University of New South Wales)
9) Professor CHEN Chih-Hsiung Thomas (Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)
10) Professor PARK Jihyun (Yonsei University)
Under ALSA’s bye-laws, Governors are elected to a fixed 4-year term. Elections take place every 2 years for around half the existing board members. When the new board is constituted, it will hold an internal election for the President and Deputy President.
ALSA’s Mission
ALSA was established on 1 September 2020 to provide a platform for scholars in Asia and those interested in Asian legal studies to meet, learn from each other, and collaborate. It aims to complement networks in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe and the US. Amongst other things, it is hoped that the focus on Asian legal studies and greater collaboration amongst scholars in Asia will uplift legal scholarship.
To this end, the board has established a number of Chapters, which have organised seminars and conferences. As a platform for law schools in Asia, ALSA welcomes all scholars in Asia to its activities regardless of whether their schools are members of ALSA.
At the same time, ALSA also welcomes the engagement of law schools and academics outside Asia. Presently, the law schools of McGill University and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile are Associate Members of ALSA. Scholars outside Asia have also taken part in ALSA conferences.
ALSA Chapters
ALSA currently has the following Chapters:
1) Corporate Law
2) Criminal Law
3) Environment and Sustainability
4) Law & Technology
5) Legal Education
6) Private Law
7) Young Scholars
The Chapters welcome new members. Members of Chapters may be from non-member schools of ALSA. This is in line with ALSA’s mission of being an inclusive platform. Should you be interested in joining a Chapter, please email the ALSA Secretariat at law-alsa@nus.edu.sg
Conferences
The following are a representative selection of conferences organised by Chapters.
In October 2024, the Legal Education Chapter, together with the University of Malaya Faculty of Law and the Malaysian Law Deans Council, organised the second conference on Legal Education. The conference theme was “Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Legal Education and Training”. Around 30 papers across 10 panels were presented covering various themes such as reflective teaching, convergence and divergence across jurisdictions in teaching practices, the use of artificial intelligence and technology, and the importance of integrating ethics into the curriculum.
Also in October 2024 saw the inaugural Public Law conference co-organised by the Public Law Chapter together with Jindal Global Law School and NUS’ Centre for Asian Legal Studies. The conference aimed to serve as a platform for emerging research on “The evolution of public law in post-colonial Asian nations” and reflect on “the broader socio-political transformations and the shifting boundaries between the public and private spheres”. The speakers hailed from 14 institutions across nine jurisdictions and presented their research across six panels on various aspects of public law, including its interaction and/or relationship with tax law, criminal law, environmental law, and corporate law. Speakers were selected through a rigorous selection process, which saw a total of 51 abstracts being submitted in response to a call for papers from 43 institutions across 15 jurisdictions.
In June 2025, the Criminal Law Chapter held its second conference on the theme “Criminal Law Reform: Then and Now”. The conference was co-organised with Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law and examined the origins and colonial influence of criminal law in the Asia-Pacific and the principal present-day criminal law reform issues under consideration by governments in the region. It saw a total of 16 papers being presented.
This was followed in July 2025 by the Law and Technology Chapter’s 2025 conference, this being the third instalment of ALSA’s Law and Technology Conference. Co-organised with UNSW Faculty of Law and Justice, it provided a great opportunity for scholars in Asia to have discussions about important issues at the intersection of law and technology. The conference attracted 127 registered delegates who could attend 2 keynote addresses and choose among 16 breakout sessions and 3 workshops. Topics discussed included the regulation of technology, legal and policy issues around new technologies, AI governance, cybersecurity, and Blockchain and the law.
December 2025 saw the second Young Scholars Conference held at University of Hong Kong in collaboration with the Australian National University and Thammasat University. The conference provided an opportunity for pre-tenure scholars including post-docs and PhD candidates to present their work and receive comments from senior academics. Four themes were identified for this conference, being Corporate and Bankruptcy Law; Law and Technology; Empirical Legal Studies; and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Looking Ahead
On 28 – 29 May 2026, the Private Law Chapter will hold its inaugural conference at City University of Hong Kong. The theme of the conference is “Private Law in Crisis: From Doctrine to Policy”. More information on the conference may be found at https://www.alsa.asia/news-and-events/call-for-papers-cityuhk-slw-alsa-private-law-conference-private-law-in-crisis-from-doctrine-to-policy/.
Another inaugural conference will be organised by the Environment and Sustainability Chapter together with the University of Western Australia from 7 – 8 July 2026. The theme of this conference is “Advancing sustainability: environmental, societal and corporate perspectives” – see https://www.alsa.asia/news-and-events/call-for-papers-uwa-alsa-environment-sustainability-conference-2026-advancing-sustainability-environmental-societal-and-corporate-perspectives/.
Moving Forward
The current board believes that as ALSA has established a good foundation, this is an opportune time to increase ALSA’s membership. We would be grateful if members reach out to schools that may be interested in joining ALSA as a member. Having a larger membership base will facilitate the further development of a thriving network of scholars focused on Asian legal studies.
It is also the board’s hope that member schools, together with the Chapters, will continue to take the lead on scholarly activities. The goal of building a vibrant scholarly community in Asia has begun and there is much more work to do.
Conclusion
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all member schools and the Governors I have worked with for the strong support and friendship that has been offered to me over my Presidency. I am confident you will extend this to my successor, whom I intend to support fully as I transition to the role of Immediate Past President.
Thank you so much and I look forward to continuing to work with many of you.
Yours sincerely,
Tan Cheng Han
President, ALSA