Part I: Opening and Introduction (4:00 PM – 4:20 PM)

• Opening Remarks by Prof. Andreas R. Ziegler
• Introduction to the Book by Dr. Xinyan Zhao

Part II: Thematic Presentations (4:20 PM – 5:40 PM)

• Prof. Isabelle Van Damme: International Trade Law and Dispute Settlement
• Prof. Mira Burri: Digital Trade and Sustainability
• Prof. Yueming Yan: Trade Law and Social Rights
• Prof. Ming Du & Ms. Xiaofeng Li: Trade Policy and the Environment 

Part III: Q&A and Discussion (5:40 PM – 6:00 PM)

About the Speakers:

Prof. Mira Burri, Professor of International Economic and Internet Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lucerne, Switzerland

Mira Burri is Professor of International Economic and Internet Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. She teaches international intellectual property, media, internet and trade law. Mira’s current research interests are in the areas of digital trade, data protection and data governance. She has published in leading journals on these topics. Some of her edited and authored publications include: Trade Governance in the Digital Age (Cambridge University Press, 2012); Public Service Broadcasting 3.0: Legal Design for the Digital Present (Routledge, 2015); Big Data and Global Trade Law (Cambridge University Press, 2021); International Intellectual Property in an Integrated World Economy (Aspen, 2024); and The Cambridge Handbook of Digital Trade Law (Cambridge University Press, 2026). Mira is the principal investigator of the project ‘Trade Law 4.0’ (ERC Consolidator Grant 2021–2026). She consults the European Parliament, the WTO, UNESCO, ASEAN, the WEF and others on issues of the regulation of the data-driven economy. Mira is also a member of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Prof. Ming Du, Professor in Transnational Law, Durham Law School

Professor Ming Du is based at Durham Law School. His research focuses on international economic law and Chinese law, and he has published extensively in these fields.

Ms. Xiaofeng Li, PhD Researcher & Tutor, Durham Law School

Xiaofeng Li is a PhD candidate in International Economic Law at Durham University, where she also earned her Master of Laws (LLM) in International Trade and Commercial Law, with a distinction for her dissertation. Her research explores the intersection of China’s industrial policy and international trade law, with a particular focus on renewable energy policies and their implications for the global trading system. Alongside her doctoral research, Xiaofeng teaches Trusts Law at Durham Law School. Prior to entering academia, she worked in the public sector in Shenzhen, where she was involved in policy research and public communications on local anti-corruption governance.

Prof. Isabelle Van Damme, Professor of International Economic Law, WTI Deputy Managing Director, WTI/University of Bern; Executive Vice President, Society of International Economic Law

Isabelle is a Professor of International Economic Law, WTI Director of Studies and WTI Deputy Managing Director at the World Trade Institute and the University of Bern. She also serves as the Executive Vice-President of the Society of International Economic Law and teaches EU trade law and policy at the College of Europe. Her practice and research interests cover WTO law, EU law and public international law. Notable assignments include acting as counsel in WTO disputes regarding sustainable development and climate change mitigation, and access to mineral resources.

Co-Editors:

Prof. Andreas R. Ziegler, Professor of International Law, University of Lausanne

Andreas R. Ziegler is a Professor of International Law at the University of Lausanne and Director of its LLM Program in International Business Law as well as its Center for Comparative, European and International Law. In addition, he holds permanent visiting appointments at the Universities of St. Gallen, the Saarland, ETH Zurich, LUISS (Rome) and the University of Vienna. Previously he was a civil servant working for several Swiss Ministries and international organizations. He has widely published on Swiss, international and European law and regularly advises Governments, International Organizations, NGOs and private clients.

Dr. Xinyan Zhao, Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer, Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany)

Dr Xinyan Zhao is a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, where he teaches and conducts research in international economic law and AI and technology law. Prior to joining Leuphana University, he was a Teaching Fellow in Law at Durham University and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy at the University of Sussex. His research focuses on international economic law, international trade law, sustainable development, climate and trade policy, and the legal and geopolitical implications of emerging technologies.

Chair: 

Prof. Yueming Yan, Assistant Professor, CUHK LAW

Yueming Yan an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (External Engagement) at the Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also serves as an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of International Economic Law (JIEL) and a Senior Fellow at Melbourne Law School. Her research interests include international law, dispute settlement, sustainable development, and China’s law and arbitration. Her works appear in leading journals such as the JIEL, Michigan Journal of International Law, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, Journal of International Dispute Settlement, ICSID Review, and Melbourne Journal of International Law. Her PhD dissertation—Improving International Investment Law’s Treatment of (Anti-)Corruption: Towards a More Balanced Approach—received the Award on International Investment Arbitration Law in memory of Piero Bernardini in 2022. Yueming was also awarded the JIEL Excellence in Reviewing Award in 2023. In 2025, she served on the American Society of International Law (ASIL) David D. Caron Prize Committee. She earned her PhD in law from McGill University.