WELCOME REMARKS

Dr Nilufer Oral | Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore
Dr Nilufer Oral is Director of the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore. She is a member of the UN International Law Commission and served as Chairperson of its 74th session. She is a co-chair of the Commission’s Study Group on sea-level rise in relation to international law, a member of the Curatorium of The Hague Academy of International Law and an associate member of the Institut de Droit International. She previously served as a legal adviser and climate change negotiator for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

INTRODUCTION

Dr Charalampos Giannakopoulos | Senior Research Fellow, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore

Dr Charalampos Giannakopoulos is a Senior Research Fellow in Investment Law and Policy at the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NUS Law. He is an Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of International Law. His research focuses on public international law, investment law, international adjudication, treaty interpretation and legal reasoning. He previously worked as a legal consultant at UNCTAD and was a Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Michigan Law School. He holds a PhD in International Law from the Graduate Institute, Geneva.

MODERATOR

Dr Nadia García Santaolalla | Research Fellow, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore

Dr Nadia Garcia-Santaolalla is a Research Fellow in International Economic Law & Policy at the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, an Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of International Law, and a guest lecturer at NUS Law. Her work brings together law, business and public policy, focusing on international trade, sustainable development, economic security and multilateral trade governance. Previously, she was a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law in Luxembourg and an Adjunct Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

PANELLISTS

Ambassador Alejandro Jara | Partner, Vásquez Urra Abogados; Former Deputy Director-General, WTO

Ambassador Alejandro Jara is a partner at Vásquez Urra Abogados in Chile and a former Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (2005–2013). He served as Chile’s Ambassador to the WTO from 2000 to 2005, following a diplomatic career spanning bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations, APEC and the leadership of Chile’s international economic relations. He has taught at the University of Chile and other institutions, and serves as an arbitrator under the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement. He is a founding member of the Punta del Este Group and the Friends of Multilateralism Group.

Mr Ignacio García Bercero | Senior Fellow, Bruegel; Visiting Professor, University College London

Ignacio García Bercero is a Senior Fellow at Bruegel and a Visiting Professor at University College London. His work examines trade policy, the reform of multilateral trade institutions, bilateral trade relations and the links between trade, climate policy and economic security. During his career at the European Commission, he contributed to the Uruguay Round and served as chief negotiator for trade agreements with South Korea, India and the United States. His final Commission post was Director for Strategy, Multilateral Affairs and Economic Analysis. He holds an LLM from University College London.

Professor Weihuan Zhou | Director, China International Business and Economic Law Centre, UNSW Sydney

Professor Weihuan Zhou is a Director of the China International Business and Economic Law Centre at the Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW Sydney. His research focuses on international economic law, particularly the relationship between international trade law and China. His work has been cited in parliamentary and policy reports. He serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on International Trade and Investment and the Executive Council of the Society of International Economic Law. A qualified Australian lawyer, he advises governments and companies on trade remedies and other cross-border trade and investment matters.