SMU to host UNESCO Chair strengthening Asia-Pacific legal innovation
SMU has been appointed host of the new UNESCO Chair in Sustainability Law Futures—an international recognition that will deepen the University’s work at the intersection of law, sustainability and policy. Announced by UNESCO on 30 March 2026, the Chair positions SMU to convene scholars, policymakers and communities in developing forward-looking legal frameworks for sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific.
As host of the UNESCO Chair, SMU now joins a prestigious network of more than 1,100 UNESCO Chairs across 130 countries. The network links over 10,000 academics and researchers, offering a platform for coordinated research, teaching and policy engagement across borders.
The Chair will be led by Associate Professor of Law Michelle Lim of the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, an internationally recognised scholar in sustainability law and governance. Her work has consistently focused on how legal systems can better anticipate and respond to emerging environmental and societal risks.
Under her leadership, the initiative will develop futures-oriented legal frameworks designed to address complex sustainability challenges. The emphasis is on interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing together legal scholarship, policy analysis and community perspectives to produce governance models that are both resilient and practical.
Assoc Prof Lim said, “Sustainability challenges are evolving rapidly, and legal systems must be able to anticipate emerging risks and opportunities. Through this UNESCO Chair, we hope to bring together scholars, policymakers and communities to explore futures approaches to sustainability law. In particular, we explore the role of story-telling both as intangible cultural heritage, and as law, to link past and future in the design of legal frameworks oriented towards desirable futures for people and planet.”
Her remarks point to an approach that extends beyond conventional legal analysis, incorporating cultural and narrative dimensions into the design of future-facing policy.
Aligning institutional strategy with global priorities
The appointment also reflects SMU’s broader institutional direction.
SMU President, Professor Lily Kong, said, “Aligned with SMU2030, the University’s strategic plan which is anchored on a clear and purposeful impact agenda, the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability Law Futures embodies our vision of creating knowledge that matters. Through this initiative, SMU will build a platform for global collaboration, knowledge exchange, and legal innovation that leaves a lasting mark on sustainable development.”
Beyond academic research, the UNESCO Chair will contribute to UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector through teaching, training and community engagement. Its work will include the development of open-access resources, public dialogues and collaborative research initiatives.
A central objective is to bridge the gap between theory and practice. By facilitating exchanges between academia and policymakers, the Chair aims to ensure that legal innovation is informed by real-world needs and grounded in diverse perspectives.
This approach also extends to education. The initiative will support the integration of interdisciplinary content into sustainability law curricula, preparing the next generation of legal professionals to operate in increasingly complex policy environments.
Shaping legal innovation for future challenges
The establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability Law Futures arrives at a moment when the limitations of existing legal frameworks are becoming more visible. Climate change, biodiversity loss and shifting socio-economic conditions continue to test the adaptability of governance systems.
This initiative offers a structured way of thinking about the future that recognises uncertainty while seeking to shape outcomes through informed, collaborative effort.
Its success will depend not only on research outputs, but on its ability to influence how legal systems evolve in practice. If it succeeds, the impact will extend well beyond academia, shaping policies and institutions across the region.
For SMU, the appointment is both an endorsement and a responsibility: to lead, to convene, and to ensure that legal innovation keeps pace with the challenges ahead.
