Teemu Ruskola

Teemu Ruskola is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, holding dual appointments in the School of Arts & Sciences (East Asian Languages and Civilizations) and the Law School. His research focuses on Chinese law, comparative legal history, and social theory, emphasizing China’s role in global legal frameworks. He earned a JD from Yale University and undergraduate/graduate degrees in East Asian Studies from Stanford University. Prior to academia, he practiced law in New York and Hong Kong. Ruskola’s scholarship includes books like Legal Orientalism and The Unmaking of the Chinese Working Class (forthcoming), and he co-authored Schlesinger’s Comparative Law. He has held fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Helsinki Collegium, among others.

Research Interests: Chinese Law, Comparative Legal History, Colonialism, Gender and Sexuality Studies, International Law, and Social Theory.

Recent Work: Investigating China’s influence on modern international law and exploring intersections of law and queer theory. His current projects include China, For Example: China and the Making of Modern International Law and Who Owns the World?

Awards: Elected to the International Academy of Comparative Law; ACLS Ryskamp Fellowship; Princeton Law and Public Affairs Fellowship.

Teaching: Courses include Chinese Law and Society, Queer Chinas, and law courses on contracts and comparative law.