Singapore, 16 January 2020 - The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Law’s Centre for Cross-Border Commercial Law in Asia have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a new peer reviewed series of books on commercial law in Asia. It is envisaged that this book series will enhance Singapore’s future as a leading centre of learning and research in commercial law.

All book proposals will undergo a two-stage process. First, they will be subject to a rigorous blind peer review process by leading scholars in the field. Second, they will also be reviewed by the Commissioning Panel of the Singapore Academy of Law, chaired by The Honourable Judge of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong. A newly-formed board comprising distinguished professors will play an advisory role to authors.

Said Ms Serene Wee, Chief Executive of SAL, “With this partnership, Academy Publishing is expanding its efforts to create and disseminate knowledge for the profession by including books on commercial law in Asia. A thorough understanding of the issues surrounding cross-border laws and trade will help lawyers, as they can no longer get by with a purely national focus.”

[Photo: (L-R) Prof Tang Hang Wu and Mr Balasakher Shunmugam representing SMU and SAL respectively at the MOU Signing Ceremony held on 15 January 2020. (Image courtesy of SAL)]

Said SMU Professor of Law Tang Hang Wu, who is also Director of the Centre for Cross-Border Commercial Law in Asia, “We believe there is an untapped market for both authors and also consumers of high-quality works on commercial law with a focus on Asia.  By marketing this book series as a serious peer reviewed series undertaken by a university and SAL, we aim to persuade leading professors to publish in this series.  With the publication of this book series, our ambition is to continue to enhance Singapore as centre of research, thinking and learning of commercial law in Asia, with SAL and SMU as its main drivers.”

The memorandum of understanding was inked on 15 January 2020. It was witnessed by The Honourable Judge of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong and Professor Goh Yihan, Dean of SMU School of Law. The signing took place at IMPRINTS, an annual appreciation event organised by SAL’s publishing arm, Academy Publishing.

[Photo: (L-R) SMU Dean Goh Yihan; SMU Prof Tang Hang Wu; Mr Balasakher Shunmugam, Senior Director, SAL Legal Publishing & Knowledge; Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang, Chair of SAL Legal Publishing & Knowledge Cluster; and Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash, Co-Chair of SAL Legal Publishing & Knowledge Cluster. (Image courtesy of SAL)]