SMU Centre for Digital Law, 55 Armenian Street, Singapore (2026)

04/08/2026

is pleased to share that our Deputy Director, Assoc Prof Han-Wei Liu, and his co-author Dr Yue Zhao (Université de Genève) recently published a paper featured in the Oxford Business Law Blog, titled 𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳: 𝘈𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

The post draws on their recent article published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, examining how sanctions and countermeasures are placing pressure on the presumed neutrality of international commercial arbitration. Using the concept of “lawfare” — the strategic use of law as a substitute for traditional coercive tools — the authors explore how arbitration has become both a target and a forum for geopolitical contestation.

The paper considers how sanctions regimes, countermeasures, blocking statutes, and divergent approaches across jurisdictions are reshaping arbitral authority, enforcement, contractual interpretation, and the conduct of private parties in cross-border disputes.

The authors’ analysis offers a timely perspective on the resilience of international commercial arbitration in an increasingly fragmented legal and geopolitical landscape, and the need to preserve procedural neutrality amid growing pressures on global dispute resolution.

Read the full article here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5791142

23/07/2026

was pleased to co-host the roundtable on 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 with Meta as part of the inaugural Singapore Data Festival 2026, held at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL).

The roundtable opened with remarks by SMUYPHSL Associate Provost (Research Governance) Prof Maartje De Visser. In her address, Prof De Visser highlighted the growing importance of AI governance as the use of, and reliance on, AI becomes increasingly pervasive and underscored the need to safeguard and enhance public trust as technology continues to evolve.

As AI evolves from a tool we direct into an agent that can act on our behalf, the roundtable examined what reasonable trust looks like in an era of rapid technological change. The discussion reframed trust not as a binary, but as a reasonableness standard that must adapt as AI capabilities continue to advance.

Moderated by Stephy Kwan (Meta), the session featured speakers from academia, government, legal practice, and industry, including SMUCDL faculty Prof Wang Heng (SMUYPHSL), Lee Wan Sie (Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore), Prof Hiroki Habuka (Kyoto University), Noboru Kitayama (森・濱田松本法律事務所), and Royce Wee (Meta).

We are grateful to our colleagues at Meta for co-hosting this timely roundtable, and to all speakers and participants for contributing to a thoughtful discussion on responsible AI, reasonable trust, and technology governance.

Through engagements like these, SMUCDL continues to advance critical conversations on digital law and governance — addressing the foundational question of how we build trust in emerging technologies by exploring dimensions beyond the legal scope, including policy and societal perspectives, with multi-stakeholder contributions.

22/07/2026

is pleased to share that our External Research Fellow Prof Błażej Kuźniacki and his co-author Marco Almada from the University of Luxembourg recently published their paper, 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘢𝘹 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, in 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺: 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘰-𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, a journal with an impact factor of over 2.0.

The paper examines how the digitalisation of tax administrations brings digital sovereignty into the heart of public governance. Focusing on the use of AI, large-scale data systems, and other digital technologies in tax administration, the authors explore how issues such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities, technological dependencies, foreign influence over digital supply chains, and gaps in technical expertise can affect a state’s ability to perform core sovereign functions.

The paper offers a timely contribution to debates on digital sovereignty, public sector automation, AI governance, and the design and procurement of digital technologies in the modern state.

Read the paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44206-026-00268-0

21/07/2026

is delighted to welcome Victor Dorokhin, Member of the Saint Petersburg Chamber of Advocates as our External Research Fellow.

Victor is an attorney and legal scholar working at the intersection of law, philosophy, and economics, with over two decades of business and legal experience in international shipping, insurance, and technology. His research interests include the economic analysis of law, algorithmic decision-making and moral costs, AI governance, and intellectual property law and policy. He is the author of 𝘓𝘢𝘸, 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (Edward Elgar, 2026), published in the 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 series. He is currently an attorney in private practice based in India and writes regularly for the Los Angeles Daily Journal, including on Big Tech regulation and AI.

We look forward to engaging with Victor’s expertise in law, economics, AI governance, and intellectual property as part of CDL’s ongoing work in digital law and technology governance.

Learn more about our Affiliates: https://cdl.smu.edu.sg/people/affiliates

20/07/2026

is pleased to share that our PhD Candidate, Huijuan Peng, has authored a timely and thought-provoking article titled 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱, 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘈𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, published in 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢.

The article looks beyond the global race to build increasingly powerful AI models, and examines whether China’s comparative advantage may lie less in developing the most advanced models than in making AI usable, affordable, and deployable at scale.

Through this piece, Huijuan offers a timely perspective on how AI adoption is being shaped not only by technological capability, but also by accessibility, cost, and real-world deployment.

Read the article on ThinkChina here: https://www.thinkchina.sg/technology/cheap-fast-and-everywhere-why-china-leads-ai-adoption

15/07/2026

External Research Fellow Dr June Park recently participated in the Chips Diplomacy Support Initiative (CHIPDIPLO) conference, Semiconductors under Geopolitical Stress: From Global Shocks to the European Chips Act 2.0, held in Brussels.

Organised by the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) within the framework of CHIPDIPLO, the two-day conference brought together industry representatives, policymakers, researchers, and experts to examine the geopolitical challenges facing global semiconductor supply chains and Europe’s policy options.

Dr Park joined a panel discussion exploring the geopolitical risks reshaping semiconductor supply chains, the preparedness of the European Union and its partners, and the implementation of the European Chips Act 2.0. The discussion was moderated by Antonio Calcara (BSoG) and featured speakers including Pierre Chastanet (European Commission), Geoffrey Gertz (Center for a New American Security), and Jan-Peter Kleinhans (OECD).

We thank the conference organisers for convening a valuable platform for experts from academia, industry, policy, and international organisations to exchange perspectives on the geopolitical and governance challenges shaping global semiconductor supply chains.

14/07/2026

With Singapore's Online Safety Commission (OSC) commencing operations under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act (OSRAA) on 29 June 2026, victims of online harms in Singapore now have a critical new avenue for recourse. Yet tackling digital harms on a global internet presents complex jurisdictional and structural challenges that users of the OSC should be mindful of.

In a recent feature by 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, External Research Fellow Josh Lee Kok Thong, Managing Director (Asia-Pacific) at the Future of Privacy Forum, offers a grounded analysis of both the significance and the inherent limitations of the OSC's reach. While commending the establishment of the OSC, he notes the operational and enforcement challenges that can come with the structural reality of cross-border harms, particularly where harmful content migrates to encrypted platforms or sites hosted offshore with no Singapore nexus.

Nonetheless, Josh observes that the OSC's domestic powers can remain consequential for victims. The Commission holds authority to direct internet service providers, platforms, and app distribution services to restrict access to harmful content within Singapore — measures that can make a meaningful difference to a victim's life and mental health, even where content cannot be removed from the internet entirely.

As broader discussions continue on strengthening online safety in Singapore, CDL remains engaged in analysing how emerging frameworks shape platform accountability and the safety of users online.

Read the full 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 article here: https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/online-safety-commission-offers-hope-but-victims-want-process-simplified

13/07/2026

warmly congratulates our Deputy Director Assoc Prof Liu Han-Wei and Faculty Member Prof Wang Heng on receiving the Lee Kong Chian Fellowship at the SMU 2026 Named Awards.

Made possible through the generous support of SMU’s donors, the Named Awards recognize faculty members for their outstanding contributions, sustained excellence, and strong promise in their respective academic fields.

The Lee Kong Chian Fellowship honors faculty members with excellent research track records who continue to demonstrate immense promise in their fields.

We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of Assoc Prof Liu and Prof Wang, whose scholarship and thought leadership continue to contribute to CDL’s work in digital law, governance, and the evolving legal and regulatory challenges of the digital economy.

10/07/2026

We are pleased to share that faculty member Professor Wang Heng was among the contributors to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, a new Insight Report published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture.

As generative and agentic AI continue to transform the financial services sector, the report provides practical guidance for organisations seeking to scale AI responsibly and securely. Drawing on insights from over 150 senior leaders across 100 financial institutions, it explores key considerations including AI strategy, governance, workforce transformation, data foundations, and the emergence of agentic AI systems.

The organisations best positioned to benefit from AI are those that holistically rethink their workflows, operating models, and technology architecture, rather than simply layering AI onto fragmented legacy systems. Effective governance remains fundamental to responsible AI adoption.

Read the full report here:https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_AI_Playbook_for_Financial_Services_2026.pdf

Read his recent article on uncertainties, digital experiments, and the AI frontier: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/bjcfcl/vol20/iss2/3/

09/07/2026

was delighted to host Prof Dov Greenbaum (אוניברסיטת רייכמן - Reichman University) for an insightful research seminar titled 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺? 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘸, chaired by Assoc Prof Han-Wei Liu, Deputy Director of SMU CDL.

The session offered a timely exploration of how brain-computer interfaces and AI-enabled neurotechnologies are blurring the line between private thoughts and legally relevant evidence, prompting critical questions surrounding privacy, consent, and legal responsibility. Prof Greenbaum analyzed the profound implications these developments hold for the justice system and society at large, addressing diverse contexts ranging from criminal investigations and court proceedings to workplace monitoring, cognitive liberty, and the rising global momentum toward neurorights.

We are grateful to Prof Greenbaum for sharing his incisive perspectives on how neurotechnologies will shape judicial processes and the future of law.

SMU Centre for Digital Law

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