The Office of Postgraduate Research Programmes and Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL) have launched a new interdisciplinary programme - PhD in Law, Commerce & Technology, the first of its kind in Asia-Pacific and among a handful of interdisciplinary research doctoral programmes offered by law schools around the world. It is built on YPHSL’s research strengths, particularly in the areas of commercial law, and law and technology.

Commencing in August 2022, the new programme adopts an industry-focus and policy-oriented approach with the purpose of producing cutting-edge research that can help regulators, companies and society as a whole face the challenges of today’s changing world.

It aims to train future thought leaders in academia, judiciary, regulatory agencies and international organisations, as well as prepare students for a career at leading research-oriented institutions.

Professor Wang Heli, Dean of Postgraduate Research Programmes, said “SMU is moving towards enhancing the intellectual interdisciplinary content of its postgraduate research programmes by introducing interdisciplinary PhD programmes, as well as encouraging students to pursue credit-bearing interdisciplinary courses, seminars and workshops.

“The launch of the PhD in Law, Commerce and Technology will be our first step in 2022 to strengthen SMU’s interdisciplinarity in our research. Furthermore, the launch of such programmes, complemented by the offering of interdisciplinary courses, seminars and workshops, will further reinforce cross-school academic exchanges amongst the PhD students and faculty members.

“The SMU PhD in Law, Commerce and Technology is both academic and industry oriented, and our PhD students in this programme will be expected to bear material industrial relevance in their dissertations. SMU is excited with this launch, and looks forward to introducing more of such interdisciplinary programmes in the future.”

About PhD in Law, Commerce & Technology Programme

The legal services industry is being transformed as a result of several factors, including globalisation and the rise of new technologies. Additionally, the increasing growth experienced by many Asian countries, as well as the positioning of Singapore as a smart nation and an international hub for legal and financial services, is leading to many challenges and legal reforms that need to be carefully assessed in order to achieve the expected goals.

To support the government’s vision to strengthen Singapore as an international hub for legal and financial services while assisting lawyers, regulators, judges, policymakers face the challenges of today’s world, this research degree programme is designed to provide a rigorous academic training to people interested in becoming academics, regulators and industry leaders. The programme will provide students a strong background in legal research from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, and it will adopt an industry-focus and policy-oriented approach with the purpose of producing cutting-edge research that can help regulators, companies and society as a whole face the challenges of today’s changing world.

The programme is targeted at prospects who are dedicated to a deep understanding of law as a social mechanism in the context of commercial activities and technology development. It is also meant for candidates who would like to pursue an academic career in law or other related disciplines, as well as those who would like to explore opportunities to work for institutions supporting policymaking or advocating growth of commercial and technological industries.

The programme will generate ideas and thinking that cuts across disciplines both within the legal realm but also more broadly to disciplines including (but not limited to) economics, computing and political science. The support for methodological and focused research in these areas is critical to understanding the ever-increasing interdependencies of these disciplines and the impact they are having on the societies we live and work in.

Find out more about the new PhD in Law, Commerce and Technology programme here: https://law.smu.edu.sg/phdlaw/programme-structure