Dean's Welcome

The SMU Yong Pung How School of Law is a vibrant community of educators, scholars and learners. Our mission is to develop impactful legal research and educate lawyers of distinction.
 
The 21st century is a time of rapid change and extraordinary challenges. Globalisation has dramatically altered our lives and continues to shape it with significant impact on the economy, people and politics. Fast expanding digitalisation and relentless technological advances have only aided and exacerbated these changes. These changes have enormous ramifications for our laws but they also present unique opportunities for shaping our future.
 
At the Yong Pung How School of Law, our distinguished faculty of diverse backgrounds actively engage these developments at both international and domestic forums. Whether the problem concerns cross-border transactions, the ethical deployment of technology, or the design of systems and transactions for sustainable development, our faculty are leading the conversations to innovate legal and policy solutions. Our thought leadership is further augmented by four research centres (the Centre for AI and Data Governance, the Centre for Commercial Law in Asia, the Centre for Computational Law, and the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy) that collaborate widely to generate research of importance and excellence.
 
In the short time since its establishment, the Yong Pung How School of Law has established a full slate of successful educational programmes carefully designed to impart intellectual rigour and competencies essential for future legal practice. It offers two qualifying degrees (the LLB and the JD programmes), a joint degree in Computing and Law, a selective taught LLM with a corporate and commercial bent, a PhD programme in law, commerce and technology, and a popularly subscribed professional educational seminar series. Just as excellence defines their scholarship, our faculty are also exceptional teachers in the classroom. Our small classes and interactive pedagogy assure students of a supportive and stimulating environment that enables all to thrive.
 
Outside the classroom, our transformative education continues in the myriad co-curricular activities that equip students with life skills and provide contexts to their learning. Our strong mooting tradition has nurtured countless students who are confident and persuasive in courtrooms, whilst our pro bono activities imbue in them a deep sense of empathy and civic mindedness. Above all, we are committed to inculcating in every student a vision of legal practice as a calling – a high vocation to be stewarded in the spirit of excellence and integrity in the service of others.
 
As the legal landscape continues on a path of rapid evolution, we are thrilled to have the opportunities to reshape and reimagine the future of law. We look forward to your invaluable partnership on this exhilarating journey.
 
Professor Lee Pey Woan
Dean, SMU Yong Pung How School of Law