Administrative law is deeply intertwined with the institutional complex, bureaucratic cultures, regulatory history and constitutional structure of a country. As more and more governance issues become transnational, scholars begin to notice the nuanced differences of administrative law among different countries. The convergence and divergence of administrative law constitute the main concern of comparative administrative law, which appears to be a burgeoning field of legal studies and political science.
Asian countries share the same historical heritage of legal reception. The modern systems of administrative law in Asia have been profoundly influenced by French, German, English and American administrative law. Nevertheless, after a century of legal reception, each country in Asia has developed its distinctive mode of regulation and judicial review. Therefore, administrative law in Asia demonstrates the dynamics of local culture, economic development, and legal reform.
The workshop is the first of its kind, bringing Asia to the field of comparative administrative law comprehensively. It also aims to initiate a genuine discussion of administrative law with a comparative perspective among Asian scholars. Hence, we have invited aspiring scholars from leading academic institutions in Asia to participate in this inaugural workshop on comparative administrative law. With scholars from a variety of Asian countries and areas, including Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan, we bring together a diverse and resourceful pool of knowledge that will cultivate ideas of administrative law for tomorrow.
The workshop begins with a keynote speech by Susan Rose-Ackerman, one of the founding members in the field of comparative administrative law. The keynote speech is open to the public, and we welcome participation from everyone who is interested in this field. To encourage innovative ideas and to ensure the quality of discussion, the workshop adopts the format of a closed-door meeting. Through intensive discussions and debates, the invited scholars share with each other their views on various aspects of administrative law through presentations of their work-in-progress papers. After each presentation, the plenary discussants act as active commentators to provide invaluable feedback and remarks for workshop participants. The workshop concludes with our closing speaker, Orly Lobel, a leading scholar in regulatory theory.
With the kick-off of the workshop this year, we expect to bring out the vibrant environment of comparative administrative law in Asia step by step. We plan to continue this tradition and hold workshops annually or biannually to encourage further exchange of intellectual ideas among scholars from different parts of the world. With active participation of scholars not only from Asia but also all over the world, we can advance the frontier of comparative administrative law.
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