FLIA Scholars and Research Fellows
Global Research Teams that Aim to Make a Real Difference
FLIA Scholars
FLIA Scholars are experts who join FLIA by invitation, recommendation and request. They join or lead research projects, attend FLIA programs and events, and and offer academic support.
Research Fellows
FLIA Research Fellows take organizing roles in FLIA research projects under the direction of FLIA Scholars. They also assist FLIA Scholars in designing research plans and timelines, as well as produce research reports.
Research Assistants
FLIA Research Assistants identify important topics in the field, summarize key academic work and practical information, and assist FLIA Scholars and Research Fellows in conducting research.
Inaugural FLIA Scholars
Passionately committed to improving the academic communication and cooperation at the intersection of law and international affairs.
Larry Backer (the U.S.)
Professor Larry Catá Backer is a Board Member of FLIA. He is the W. Richard and Mary Eshelman Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law & International Affairs at the Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on governance related issues of globalization and the constitutional theories of public and private governance, with a focus on institutional frameworks where public and private law systems converge. He is particularly interested in transnational problem solving through law, broadly defined, including issues of corporate social responsibility, the relationship between state-based regulation and transnational systems of “soft” regulation, state participation in private markets and the emerging problems of polycentricity where multiple systems might be simultaneously applied to a single issue or event, and problems of translation between Western and Marxist Leninist constitutional systems.
Duoqi Xu (China)
Professor Duoqi Xu is a Board Member of FLIA, a FLIA Scholar, and a Program Director. Professor Xu’s research interests include Financial law, Tax law and Fintech legal issues. She has published more than 70 articles on CSSCI Journals including Social Sciences in China, China Legal Science (English version), Studies in Law and Business, the Science of Law, Legal Science, Law Review, Jurist, Economic Law Forum, Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Journal of Wuhan University. A substantial number of those articles are fully reprinted by Xinhua Digest, China University Academic Abstract, China Legal Science Briefing and Renmin University of China Reprinted Materials. She has published articles on oversea journals including Tax Notes International, Frontiers of Chinese Law and Financial and Economic Yuedan Law Review (Taiwan), and is the independent author of two books and one translation work. She has hosted almost 10 provincial projects including two Projects of the National Social Science Foundation of China Legal Research in Commercial Banks—Actual Conflicts and Law Integration of Credit Assets Securitization(finished) and Licenses Charting and Market Supervision of Internet Finance.
Douglas Castro (Brazil)
Professor Douglas Castro is a FLIA Scholar. He did his Post-Doc fellowship in International Economic Law at São Paulo School of Law-FGV. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Sciences and Master in International Law from São Paulo University and LLM in International Law at Brigham Young University in the United States. He is a professor of International Law and Relations and senior researcher of the CNPQ Group Research “The Critics and the Law” (UNIP-São Paulo). CV Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/4705266553541759 SSRN Author Page: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2358659
Flora Sapio (Italy)
Dr. Flora Sapio (Habilitated Associate Professor) is a Board Member of FLIA and a FLIA Scholar. She is internationally reknown for her sophisticated analyses of themes in China studies ranging from legal theory to politics, from economy and society to political communication, from criminal law to social organizations. Her mixed intellectual background, and life experiences in China, the United States, Europe, and Australia have shaped her perspective on the most diverse topics. She is the author or editor of China: The Justice Experience (Cambridge University Press, 2017), Legal Reforms and Deprivation of Liberty in China (Routledge, 2016), The Politics of Law and Stability in China (Edward Elgar, 2014), Sovereign Power and the Law in China (Brill, 2010), besides several articles and commentaries on contemporary issues. She has been very well recogenized by her research on China's social credit system.
Shiping Liao (China)
Professor Liao Shiping is a Board Member of FLIA. He is now associate professor in Law School of Beijing Normal University. He focuses on many topics on international law, including the law of the sea, the law of the treaties, international humanitarian law, the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals, international investment law and international trade law. He serves as legal advisor for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China, and State Oceanic Administration for years. He also serves as judge for various international law moot competitions, including JESSUP, ELSA WTO, Manfred Lachs Moot of Space Law, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, International Criminal Court Moot and IHL Moot in Chinese domestic round, Asia-Pacific regional round and World Final Round.
John Hunter (the U.S.)
John W. Hunter is a FLIA Advisory Committee Member and a FLIA Scholar. He is telecommunications lawyer in Washington, DC, having served in multiple positions in both the private sector and in federal, state and local government. He now is Chief Policy Counsel for wireline competition at the Federal Communications Commission. He previously served as Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor to an FCC Commissioner and as Counsel to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee and to a Member of Congress. He was Chairman of the Virginia Public Broadcasting Board under three Governors, a position requiring confirmation by the Virginia General Assembly, and a Commissioner of the Fairfax County, Virginia Planning Commission. In the private sector in both law firms and a national trade association, Mr. Hunter represented telecommunications companies, including local exchange, wireless, interexchange and international carriers, broadcasters, cable companies and equipment manufacturers. Mr. Hunter holds a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Albion College. He is an honorary member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service at Albion College and actively supports current students and alumni of the Ford Institute.
Mark Poustie (the U.K.)
Professor Mark Poustie is a Board Member of FLIA. He served at the University of Strathclyde as Head of the Law School from 2007-2013 and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, in charge of international affairs from 2013-2015. At the same time, Professor Poustie was very successful in his academic field. He has conducted significant research in the area of environmental law, land law, urban planning law, and EU law, with considerable impact on the international scene. Also, Professor Poustie was an active practitioner, who was involved in the governmental policy-making process. He was appointed as a part-time Oriental Scholar at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) from 2014-2016 before taking up a full-time Thousand Talents Scholar post at SUFE from 2016. He teaches and researches areas of environmental law, EU law and common law at SUFE.
Jitendra Kumar (India)
Professor Jitendra Kumar is a FLIA Scholar. He is a professor at National Law University (Mumbai, India), a consultant and international unclear liability Expert, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, Vienna, Austria), a member at the International School of Nuclear Law Supervisory Board (ISNL Board, Montpelier, France), and Faculty at the Nuclear Law Institute (NLI, IAEA, Vienna, Austria), etc.He is a recognized international expert, experienced academic, arbitrator and qualified legal professional with proven ability to deliver effective legal solutions in challenging multicultural environments based on sound academic background and professional experience at the Bar, Industry (Corporate, Insurance, Finance, Healthcare, Scientific Research and Energy Sectors), Educational Bodies (Teaching, Training and Educational Administration at National as well as International Institutions of Advanced Learning and Research), National Government as well as International Institutions.