We are delighted to launch ASIANSIL Voices, the blog of the Asian Society of International Law (ASIANSIL). The blog seeks to pursue the same broad goals that underpin the Asian Society and its journal, the Asian Journal of International Law (ASIANJIL), namely, to promote international law in Asia and foster the development and articulation of Asian perspectives on international law.  The creation of the Blog is timely, if not urgent, for several reasons. Blogs play an important role in disseminating information and scholarship, furthering discussion and debate, and providing expert analysis of complex and often controversial issues in a civil and academically informed way.  Asian scholars are more active and engaged than ever in communicating and commenting on developments, not merely in Asia, but globally, and could benefit from a forum to express their views and exchange their ideas. Like the Society itself and the AsianJIL, Voices seeks to be attuned to the many challenges that academics in Asia face in presenting their ideas out into the world.

This is in many ways a challenging time in which to launch yet another international law blog. The UN Secretary-General recently, in the General Assembly, outlined the many disturbing crises confronting the international community, and how the international system has failed in addressing them. Crucial and urgent issues are now being raised as to the credibility, character, and future of international law, and it is important for Asian scholars to make their own contributions to the debates and discussions that must surely follow. We hope this Blog will further democratize and expand these debates and discussions.

We have chosen the title Voices for our blog as we hope it will serve as a forum for the many diverse voices of Asia, younger and senior scholars, positivists and critical scholars, feminists and historians, and scholars of other persuasions.  We welcome submissions reporting on and analysing current developments in Asian jurisdictions, or significant international cases in all areas of international law, as well as essays on Asia and the history and theory of international law, pedagogy, human rights, law of armed conflict, law of the sea, and foreign investment, etc.  The Blog’s motto is to both register and voice the Asian experiences of international law while interacting with the international law academic community around the globe. Voices will complement AsianJIL, for instance, by hosting symposia around published works in the Journal.

Having said that, we welcome contributions from anywhere in the world. We hope that the Blog will foster discussions and collaborations between Asian scholars and international lawyers globally. 

For us, as editors of the Voices, the plans are many, the potential vast, and the challenges immense. For now, however, we are simply, delighted, to be able to present the inaugural essays of ASIANSIL Voices, the Blog of the Asian Society of International Law.

The Editors of the ASIANSIL Voices

Download the submission guidelines here.

Editors of the ASAINSIL Voices (in alphabetical order):

• Pouria ASKARY, Associate Professor, Allameh Tabataba’i University (pouria.askary@gmail.com; @askarypouria)

• Srinivas BURRA, Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian University, New Delhi (srinivasb@sau.ac.in)

• Yifeng CHEN, Associate Professor, Law School, Peking University (yifeng.chen@pku.edu.cn)

• Marija JOVANOVIC, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Human Rights Law, Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre (marija.jovanovic@essex.ac.uk; @ma_jovanovic)
• Prabhash Ranjan, Associate Professor, Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian University (pranjan1278@gmail.com)

• Mavluda SATTOROVA, Professor in International Economic Law, Law School, University of Liverpool (m.sattorova@liverpool.ac.uk)

• Sergey SAYAPIN, Associate Professor, School of Law, KIMEP University (s.sayapin@kimep.kz; https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergeysayapin/)
• Prabhakar SINGH, DAAD Professor of Law, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany & BML Munjal University School of Law, Gurugram, India (prabhakarsingh.adv@gmail.com; @OolongTeaCher)