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Introduction

We are pleased to announce that the 22^nd Annual Asian Law Institute (ASLI) Conference will be hosted by East China University of Political Science and Law on 28^th and 29^th May 2025 in Shanghai, China. We look forward to welcoming you and value your contribution to the ongoing success of this annual conference.

The 22^nd ASLI Conference 2025

The purpose of the annual conference is to bring together scholars of Asian law from within and outside Asia to interact, share ideas and build collegial networks which may facilitate dialogue and research collaborations. We hope that this research forum will be widely used to bring together collaborators in various projects. Presenters and non-presenters are encouraged to connect with fellow academics before the conference and to start thinking about potential research projects.

The conference format remains broadly the same as in previous years: there will be numerous parallel sessions over two days. The broad theme of the 2025 conference is Discourses of Rule of Law: Asia’s Narratives.

Under the conference theme, we will, as far as possible, group papers within broad subject areas, and will form panels on this basis. The broad subject areas will include: Banking and Finance; Bankruptcy; Children and Law; Competition Law; Constitutional and Administrative Law; Corporate Law and Governance; Criminal Law; Energy Law; Environmental Law; Family Law; Human Rights; Information Technology Law; International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution; International Business Law; International Investment Law; International Law; Intellectual Property Rights; International Regulation of Trade; Labor and Employment Law; Law and Economic Development; Law and Religion; Law and Society; Legal Education; Legal Pluralism; Maritime Law; Migration; Miscellaneous; Private International Law; Private Law; Space Law and the Low-Altitude Economy; Tax Law; and Women and Law.

However, we welcome papers on all topics, and the ‘Miscellaneous’ category means that it is not necessary for a paper to fit within any specific subject area to be accepted.

Call for papers

There will be 4 (or, exceptionally, 5) papers per panel to give presenters and discussants adequate time for fruitful engagement. In preparing abstracts of their proposed papers, we encourage prospective participants to engage with Asian Law and address the conference theme. In addition to the general call for individual papers, we also encourage individuals to organise their own panels by coordinating with colleagues from other ASLI institutions. This will allow for the panels to be more cohesive, diverse and inclusive, and will also foster greater collaboration between academics from different institutions / jurisdictions, which is one of the key aims of ASLI.

Selection criteria for papers

The papers will be selected on a competitive basis. The quality of papers has improved considerably in recent years. The selection will be done jointly by the ASLI Directors and Secretariat, and the host institution (East China University of Political Science and Law). The selection criteria will be as follows:

1. Quality of the abstract
2. A focus on Asia
3. Relevance to the broad theme
4. Geographical diversity of presenters
5. Balance between senior and junior presenters
6. Participants must be Professors or Teachers at a university, or Ph.D. holders or Ph.D. candidates.

Exceptionally, we may consider excellent submissions by full-time researchers at an ASLI institution with at least an LL.M. Submissions from legal practitioners who pursue academic research are also welcomed.

Please read the following instructions carefully before submitting abstracts or panels

Submissions of individual papers

General Guidelines and Timeline

1. The deadline for submission of individual abstracts is 15 November 2024. Abstracts received after the submission deadline may be declined.
2. Participants will be notified on the status of their submission in January 2025 via email, hence it is important that you provide a valid email address with each abstract submission.
3. Selection will be made on a competitive basis.
4. Upon acceptance of abstracts, full papers must be submitted by 30 April 2025.
5. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the panel allocation.

Online submission

6. individual papers/co-author(s), please click here to submit abstract for parallel sessions, and input/provide the following information in the online form as required.
   1. Title of paper
   2. Proposed panel category (choose from drop-down list in the submission form)
   3. Indicate key words and identify the theme of your paper to assist us in the categorisation process. For example:
      • Name of presenter: Mr XXX
      • Title of paper: “Islamic banking and the global financial crisis”
      • Category: Banking and Finance
   4. Abstract: Description of paper should be no more than 300 words (inclusive of footnotes if any). Please adhere strictly to this requirement.
   5. Speaker’s Bio: Brief description of professional status, education background and experience in no more than 250 words. Please do not submit your CVs and adhere strictly to this requirement.

Submissions for pre-arranged panels

Guidelines for pre-arranged panels

1. Where a group of presenters wishes to form a panel, the panel convener should submit the panel proposal after he/she has coordinated with the other speakers. The proposal should include amongst other details the speakers’ presentation sequence, name and institution’s name.
2. The proposed panel should consist of 4 (or, exceptionally, 5) presenters, including the panel convener.
3. The panel organiser must be one of the proposed paper-presenter for the panel in question.
4. At most two panellists may be from the same university.
5. A panel should not have more than 1 PhD student.
6. A panel must not include more than two colleagues from the same jurisdiction, unless one of these colleagues writes on the law of another jurisdiction or the panel is focusing on the law of a given jurisdiction.
7. Selection will be made on a competitive basis.
8. The organisers reserve the rights to make changes to the panel allocation.
9. The organisers reserve the right to cancel the panel presentation or postpone or change its date, venue and time.

Timeline

10. The deadline for submission of panel proposals is 15 November 2024. Abstracts received after the submission deadline may be declined.
11. Participants will be notified on the status of their submission in January 2025 via email, hence it is important that you provide a valid email address with each abstract submission.
12. Upon acceptance of abstracts, full papers must be submitted by 30 April 2025.

Online Submission

13. For Panel Conveners, please click here to submit pre-arranged panels proposal.
14. Only one submission should be made by the panel convenor.
15. ASLI Secretariat will send a separate link to the panel convenor for forwarding to the panellists for individual abstracts submissions for the panel. The panel convenor must ensure that all individual panellist submit their abstracts using the unique link.
16. The panel convenor must ensure that all individual panellists submit their individual bio (no more than 250 words) and individual abstract (no more than 300 words, inclusive of footnotes). Please do not submit your CVs and adhere strictly to this requirement.

•	Submission of Abstracts 15 November 2024, Friday You will be notified in January 2025 on the status of your submission.
•	Deadline for Early Bird Registration and Payment 21 February 2025, Friday
•	Closing date for Registration and Payment 17 March 2025, Monday
•	Submission of Completed Paper 30 April 2025, Wednesday
•	Conference Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29 May 2025

IMPORTANT: Early submission is highly recommended.