SMU-Max Planck Workshop “Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: UrbanChallenges and International Law in Asia”

Excited to announce that the SMU–Max Planck Asian Cities and the International Legal Order Workshop 2.0 (2–3 November 2026) is coming!

Prof Liu Nengye (Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law), together with Prof Helmut Aust (Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Heidelberg) and Prof Orlando Woods (SMU Urban Institute), are delighted to launch the Call for Papers on Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia.

Building on the success of the Asian Cities 1.0 Workshop held at SMU Yong Pung How School of Law in July 2025, this next edition will explore three key questions:

• How are international legal norms interpreted and operationalised within Asia’s urban governance contexts?

• How do Asian cities engage with and shape internation

al organisations, regional institutions, and transnational governance networks to address urban challenges?

• To what extent are existing international legal frameworks adequate for the challenges faced by Asian cities?

We warmly invite submissions from scholars and practitioners working at the intersection of urban studies and international law.

📩 Submit your abstract (max. 250 words) by 15 July 2026 to: lawandsustainability@smu.edu.sg

🔗 Full Call for Papers: https://ccla.smu.edu.sg/events/call-papers