Knut Benjamin Pißler

Knut Benjamin Pißler is a Professor of Chinese Law at the University of Göttingen, Senior Research Fellow and head of the Centre of Expertise on China and Korea at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg (on sabbatical until September 2025), and Vice Director of the Sino-German Institute for Legal Studies at Göttingen and Nanjing Universities. His expertise spans Chinese legal systems, comparative law, and international private law.

Education:

• Law degrees from the Universities of Würzburg and Hamburg.
• DAAD scholarship for language studies and research at Nanjing University (1996–2000).
• PhD and post-doctoral thesis at the University of Göttingen (2002–2013).

Research Interests: His work focuses on Chinese civil law, legal reforms, comparative law, and international private law. He examines topics such as civil procedure, corporate governance, NGOs, and judicial practices in China. His research bridges East Asian legal systems with European and global frameworks.

Publications: Over 50 articles and edited volumes on Chinese law, including monographs like Charity with Chinese Characteristics and Handbuch des Chinesischen Zivilprozessrechts. His work analyzes legal frameworks, judicial interpretations, and cross-border legal challenges.

Affiliations:

• Vice President of the German-Chinese Jurists’ Association (DCJV).
• Co-editor of the Schriften zum chinesischen Recht series.
• Member of editorial boards for journals like China-EU Law Journal and Zeitschrift für Chinesisches Recht.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Centre of Expertise on China and Korea at the Max Planck Institute, fostering collaboration between European and East Asian legal scholars.