International and Comparative Law

On October 30, 2020, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, together with AUWCL’s Acting Dean and Professor of Law Robert Dinerstein, discussed the barriers and challenges in addressing the human rights of persons with disabilities during and after COVID-19.

AUWCL Professor Padideh Ala’i is a thought leader on the role of the WTO in promoting “good governance” norms and values in the administration of trade-related measures. Her most recent scholarship on this topic is entitled “The Limits of Transparency: China, the United States, and the World Trade Organization,” (co-authored with Katayoon Beshkardana,) published in Berger et al., eds., Cultures of Transparency: Between Promise and Peril (London: Routledge, 2021).

International education has long been central to the mission of American University and its law school (AUWCL). On November 16, 2020, during the International Education Week, AUWCL hosted two panel discussions on the state of affairs of international education in the U.S., and the benefits international education and exchanges create for the U.S.

AUWCL is currently the only host law school under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. The Program provides mid-career professionals with valuable opportunities for leadership development and professional affiliations in the U.S. In a recent interview, Dr. Peter Moran, Director of the Humphrey Fellowship Program at the Institute of International Education, reasserted the importance of host schools such as AUWCL to the Program’s mission of fostering leadership and public service.

On November 18, 2020, AUWCL hosted two panel discussions on Pandemics and International Law, which provided a forum for members of the United Nations International Law Commission and AUWCL faculty experts to reflect on the role international law could play in adopting measures or norms to prevent and react effectively to pandemics.

On December 16, 2020, the Tech, Law and Security Program for a presentation and panel discussion about the Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s new white paper, "Building a Trusted ICT Supply Chain." This white paper highlights the threats that emanate from dependencies on China and other countries that may be following policies that are adverse to the U.S. The dependency also risks impairing the availability of these same critical technologies and components and compromises American and partner competitiveness in global markets in the face of Chinese economic expansion.