Weitseng CHEN

Weitseng CHEN is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS). He specializes in comparative Asian law, particularly within the greater China region, focusing on law and development, property law, and financial institutions. His work bridges legal frameworks with socio-political dynamics in authoritarian and democratic contexts.

Education: JSD and LLM from Yale Law School (Fulbright Scholar), LLM and LLB from National Taiwan University, and licensed as an attorney in New York and Taiwan.

Research Interests: Weitseng explores authoritarian legality, property rights transitions, and Asian law & development. His recent studies include analyses of policing transformations in Asia, the Beijing Consensus on economic development, and the interplay between legal systems and political regimes. His notable works include Authoritarian Legality in Asia (2020) and The Beijing Consensus? (2017).

Professional Background: Before joining NUS, he was a Hewlett Fellow at Stanford University’s CDDRL and practiced corporate law at Davis Polk & Wardwell. He has held visiting positions at Harvard, Melbourne Law School, and other institutions. He is also a 2021-22 fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.

Teaching: He teaches courses on Legal Systems of Asia across multiple modules (A-H).