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Profile
Joel Ong is currently a Research Assistant to Emeritus Professor Robert Beckman and Dr. Tara Davenport, Co-Heads of the Oceans Law and Policy Programme at the Centre for International Law (CIL), a university level research centre at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He read Law for his Bachelor’s Degree at NUS, graduating with a Second Class (Upper) Honours in 2023.
He received the Best Oralist Award for attaining the highest grade in the oral exam at the 2024 Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy in Greece, and was one of the two valedictorians selected by peers to give the Academy’s Closing Address.
Joel is part of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)-CIL Oceans Governance Research Programme 2023 funded by the Singapore Maritime Institute, conducting research on ocean policy and regulation. He specializes in the decarbonization of shipping.
He was a Teaching Assistant for the “International Regulation of Shipping” course at NUS Law and MPA and has lectured on climate change and shipping. He was also a Singapore Delegate to the Cooperation Forum between governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
He published a journal article ‘Decarbonizing International Shipping at the IMO: Are Alternative Fuels The Way Forward?’ in Carbon & Climate Law Review, which was showcased at the COP 29 climate conference at the Singapore Pavilion. He has also been invited to speak at various international conferences in Singapore, Denmark and Malaysia and peer reviewed International Energy Agency (IEA) and Global Maritime Forum reports. At CIL, Joel has helped to organize various international conferences, including on maritime decarbonisation and a forthcoming special issue of a journal on that topic.
Notably, Joel was seconded to assist the Singapore Delegation to the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) on preparations for international negotiations on maritime decarbonisation and safeguarding Singapore’s interests. He supported the cross-divisional team in shaping Singapore’s policy interests on various legal issues and liaised with various International Organisations including the IEA and Global Maritime Forum on partnerships with MPA. He also advanced initiatives including the Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridors, sustainable finance, electrification of domestic harbour craft, and carbon pricing and accounting.
