About
Professor Baris Soyer is a leading academic in Commercial and Maritime Law at Swansea University, serving as Director of the Institute of Shipping and International Trade Law since 2010. He holds a Professorship in Commercial and Maritime Law and has been with the university since 2001, advancing through roles as Lecturer and Reader before his promotion in 2009. His research focuses on insurance law (particularly marine insurance), cybersecurity in shipping, autonomous vessel regulations, and legal implications of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. He has led significant projects including a Welsh Research Innovation Fund study on cyber risk insurance and a Waterloo Foundation grant examining insurance impacts on illegal fishing (completed 2018). Professor Soyer is also Editor of the Journal of International Maritime Law (2002–2018) and serves on editorial boards of key maritime law journals. His work has been cited in high-profile court cases, including the U.S. Columbia District Court and UK Commercial Court.
He teaches advanced modules in international trade law, maritime insurance, and contract law, and supervises PhD students exploring topics such as autonomous shipping liability, cyber insurance, and AI in legal frameworks. Notable grants include funding for research on remote-controlled shipping case studies and cybersecurity in Wales. His contributions span over 40 publications, including monographs like Marine Insurance Fraud (2014) and edited volumes on disruptive technologies in shipping.
Professor Soyer’s global academic collaborations include visiting professorships at Dalian Maritime University (China), University of Lorraine (France), and Shanghai Maritime University (China). His research bridges legal theory with practical challenges in maritime and commercial sectors, addressing modern issues like digitalization, climate change adaptation, and autonomous systems regulation.
