Dr. Xinyan Zhao
Courses
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The international legal order is currently experiencing profound disruptions, with events and developments that challenge its foundational structures in unprecedented ways. This course examines key global trends reshaping the landscape of international (economic) law. Each topic will be explored across two sessions: the first session will provide an overview of the established legal understanding before the emergence of these trends, while the second will focus on the current challenges and legal implications resulting from these changes.
The topics covered could include (we will discuss the topics in the first session):
1. The erosion of the international (economic) order
2. The rise of regionalism and bilateral agreements
3. Trade in times of the environmental crisis
4. International Trade in the age of protectionism & Geoeconomics
5. Corporate accountability and Human Rights
6. Export restrictions on rare earths and raw materials
7. The vulnerability of the global infrastructure
8. Digitalisation, AI and global trade
Throughout the course, we will engage with three central questions:
• What lies behind each trend from a legal perspective?
• Which international law issues are raised by these trends?
• What legal responses and solutions can be proposed to address these challenges?
This course aims to deepen students' understanding of public international law by focusing on the intersections between International Economic Law and other related policy and legal areas. By critically examining the evolving landscape, students will develop the analytical skills necessary to address contemporary challenges in international legal practice especially as they arise in international economic law.
The topics covered could include (we will discuss the topics in the first session):
1. The erosion of the international (economic) order
2. The rise of regionalism and bilateral agreements
3. Trade in times of the environmental crisis
4. International Trade in the age of protectionism & Geoeconomics
5. Corporate accountability and Human Rights
6. Export restrictions on rare earths and raw materials
7. The vulnerability of the global infrastructure
8. Digitalisation, AI and global trade
Throughout the course, we will engage with three central questions:
• What lies behind each trend from a legal perspective?
• Which international law issues are raised by these trends?
• What legal responses and solutions can be proposed to address these challenges?
This course aims to deepen students' understanding of public international law by focusing on the intersections between International Economic Law and other related policy and legal areas. By critically examining the evolving landscape, students will develop the analytical skills necessary to address contemporary challenges in international legal practice especially as they arise in international economic law.