As the first of its kind in Asia, the Global Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) Program prepares aspiring and emerging legal academics for securing tenure-track academic positions in the global teaching market. VAPs will spend one year in residence at SMU, developing research in their fields and contributing to undergraduate or post-graduate teaching. They will also receive feedback and mentoring from faculty.

In most aspects, VAPs are treated as regular full-time faculty and form an integral part of the school of law. To ensure their success, VAPs take on a reduced teaching load and limited administrative obligations. VAPs are encouraged to present their works-in-progress at the faculty research workshops, co-organize conferences and participate in overseas conferences. It is expected that VAPs will produce two major scholarly publications during the program.

VAP positions require doctorate degrees in law (Ph.D., D.Phil., J.D. or S.J.D. for US-educated candidates) from reputable universities. Holders of other graduate degrees or current lecturers/assistant professors in other jurisdictions may be considered if they possess outstanding publication records. Applicants should also have two substantive publications (published or accepted for publication), preferably in well-ranked academic journals, at the time of application. Work experiences in appellate courts, international organizations, law firms or technology companies are preferred.

Scholars with research in all areas of law are welcome, although subject areas of particular interest include ASEAN law, commercial law, comparative law, corporate and financial law, energy law, environmental law, international dispute settlement (related to the Belt and Road Initiative), international economic law, law and technology (such as AI governance and computational law), and public international law.

For more details, see https://law.smu.edu.sg/law/about/career/global-vap