Faculty Profile

Heng Wang is a professor at SMU Yong Pung How School of Law. He was a professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, co-directing important research centres. He received major grants and awards, including Australia’s research leader in international law by The Australian. 

As an interdisciplinary scholar, he adopts a holistic approach to explore the future of international economic governance (particularly amid digitalisation) and integrates agentic AI, finance, sustainability, trade, and dispute settlement. His recent focuses include trust in digitalisation, and China’s role in the international economic order. 

His scholarship is often cited in intergovernmental organisation documents. Recently, Heng has developed toolkits, authored a blog series, and conducted staff training for the United Nations Development Programme. 

He serves on advisory groups of institutions, including a United Nations centre on technology. He is a member of many World Economic Forum initiatives on AI governance, risks, and finance. Heng has advised or been a (keynote) speaker at events of ADB, APEC, Bundesbank, BIS/CPMI, Cambridge, GFTN, Harvard, HCCH, IAPP, ICC, ICSID, IMF, INTERPOL, MAS, UNCITRAL, UN ESCAP, World Bank, and WTO.
 

Qualifications

• PhD, Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL)
• LLM (National [Top 10] Model Students of China), SWUPL
• LLB, SWUPL
• BA, Sichuan International Studies University (dual degree)

Research Areas / Areas of Specialisation

• Governance of digital transformation (e.g. AI, trade, sustainable development, dispute settlement, foresight), including how to address uncertainties
• Digital currencies
• The future of International economic relationships
• (Digital) financial inclusion
• Regional economic relationship and law development
• China and international economic order