The Founding Members of the Asian Law Schools Association (ALSA or the “Association”) are pleased to announce the formal inauguration of the Association on 15 January 2021. The inauguration was held in conjunction with the 1st ALSA Deans’ Congress on the Future of Law Schools and Legal Education. The Congress saw many deep insights from the participants (see http://www.ncm2.xyz/slw/lib/doc/web_story/20210129_ALSA_Deans_Congress.pdf).

ALSA is an association of 22 leading Asian law schools that have come together to uphold and advance excellence in legal education and scholarship in Asia through meaningful collaboration among Asian law schools. In furtherance of the Association’s purpose, ALSA promotes the core values of academic freedom, the rule of law, diversity, integrity, and professionalism. Its membership will be increased progressively to include other law schools.

ALSA is borne out of a conviction that a rapidly developing Asia that increasingly recognises the importance of the rule and role of law can benefit from greater collaboration between legal scholars in Asia and outside Asia. The Association intends to provide the preeminent platform in Asia for research, teaching and dialogue to take place between legal scholars and with stakeholders.

To achieve its objectives, ALSA will host learned activities led by member schools. These include conferences and symposia on Commercial Law, Contract Law, Corporations Law, Law and Technology, Legal Education, and Public Law. A Young Scholars workshop will also be held in June 2021 to support young faculty.

At the 1st ALSA Board of Governors meeting on 4 February 2021, Professor TAN Cheng-Han of City University of Hong Kong was elected President and Professor SHEN Weixing of Tsinghua University was elected Vice-President of the Association. The General Secretary is Professor WAN Wai Yee of City University of Hong Kong.

Dean Shen Weixing: “I believe the association will promote collaboration between Asian law schools and prominent law schools all around the world. With more joint degree programs and active interdisciplinary cooperation, it will bring more opportunities to students as well as legal professionals and further develop globalization and tech-innovation.”

Dean Tan Cheng-Han: “I am delighted that so many of the top law schools in Asia have come together to establish ALSA. This is an important milestone for legal education and research in Asia. I am confident that ALSA will be a dynamic and influential platform for the scholarly exchange of ideas on all aspects of the laws of Asia.”

The full list of Governors and Founding Members is set out in the Appendix.

About the Asian Law Schools Association

The Asian Law Schools Association is a network of 22 leading Asian law schools dedicated to the development of legal education and scholarship within Asia. It seeks to facilitate collaboration through conferences, symposia, workshops, round tables and other learned activities. More information on ALSA may be found at: http://www.ncm2.xyz/slw/ALSA/.

Appendix

Asian Law Schools Association (ALSA) – Board of Governors
(in alphabetical order of member institutions)

TAN Cheng Han

              City University of Hong Kong

Tomoko MASUDA

              Nagoya University

KONG Xiangjun

              Shanghai Jiaotong University

GOH Yihan

              Singapore Management University

Munin PONGSAPAN

              Thammasat University

SHEN Weixing

              Tsinghua University

Nazura ABDUL MANAP

              Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

FU Hualing

              University of Hong Kong

CHANG Wen-Chen 

              Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Hyung Doo NAM

              Yonsei University

Asian Law Schools Association (ALSA) – Founding Members
(in alphabetical order)

1. Beijing Normal University

2. City University of Hong Kong

3. East China University of Political Science and Law

4. Jilin University

5. Kobe University

6. Nagoya University

7. Nanjing University

8. National Law School of India University

9. O.P. Jindal Global University

10. Shanghai Jiaotong University

11. Shanghai University

12. Singapore Management University

13. Sun Yat-Sen University

14. Thammasat University

15. Tsinghua University

16. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

17. Universiti Malaya

18. University of Hong Kong

19. University of the Philippines

20. Xiamen University

21. Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

22. Yonsei University