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 have begun 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 own 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 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, in 2012, we invited aspiring scholars from leading academic institutions in Asia to participate in the inaugural Comparative and Administrative Law in Asia workshop. With scholars from a variety of Asian countries and areas, including Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan, we brought together a diverse and resourceful pool of knowledge that cultivated ideas of administrative law for tomorrow.
To encourage innovative ideas and to ensure the quality of discussion, the workshop has adopted the format of a closed-door meeting. Through intensive discussions and debates, invited scholars present their own work-in-progress papers and share with each other their views on various aspects of administrative law. After each presentation, the plenary discussants act as active commentators to provide invaluable feedback and remarks for workshop participants. Moreover, the workshop invites leading scholars in the field to deliver lectures on significant issues and developments of comparative administrative law. The 2012 workshop began with a keynote speech by Susan Rose-Ackerman, one of the founding members in the field of comparative administrative law, and concluded with the closing speaker, Orly Lobel, a leading scholar in law and regulation. The 2012 workshop enormously enriched the horizon of comparative administrative law.
In 2013, two prominent scholars, Paul Craig of Oxford and Wojciech Sadurski of Sydney will give the opening and closing speeches. With the 2013 workshop, we aim to build upon the great success of the inaugural event and further enrich the field of comparative administrative law. This second workshop will take place in July 2013, expanding the pool of participation and becoming more integrated with the global trend of comparative administrative law.
With the Comparative and Administrative Law in Asia Workshops, we expect to bring out the vibrant environment of comparative administrative law in Asia. We plan to continue this tradition and hold workshops regularly so as to encourage further exchange of intellectual ideas among scholars from different parts of the world. With the active participation of scholars not only from Asia but from the global community, we aim to advance the frontier of administrative law. |
