RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme

Biography

Professor in School of Law at City University of Hong Kong
Research interests include international economic law, with emphasis on trade and investment rules, dispute settlement and arbitration
SRFS project — to study how trade and investment rules must respond to rapid growth in semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Export controls, forced technology transfer, subsidies and investment restrictions have become common and disputes are increasing. Many of these disputes are now reaching international tribunals and arbitration. The project will analyze these issues and offer practical solutions for governments, investors and the legal community.
Awards and Honours:
- RGC Senior Research Fellow (2025)
- CityU Outstanding Research Award (2023)
- RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2022)
- Smit‑Lowenfeld Prize, International Arbitration Club of New York (2020)
- CUHK Vice‑Chancellor’s Young Researcher Award (2017)

Project Title

Semiconductors, Quantum Computing, and AI: Pioneering the Future of Trade and Sustainability in International Economic Law

Award Citation

Professor Julien Laurent Chaisse of the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong has received the RGC Senior Research Fellow for a five-year project that will examine how trade and investment rules must respond to rapid developments in semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

These three areas are closely linked. Modern chips power almost every connected device. Quantum computing promises processing power that could change finance, health care and logistics. Artificial intelligence builds on these advances and is already altering the way governments and businesses work. Growth in these fields has created disputes across borders. Export controls, forced technology transfers, state subsidies and investment barriers are becoming more common. Policies in the United States, Europe, China, Japan and Korea are moving in different directions, and conflicts are now reaching international tribunals and arbitration.

Hong Kong feels the effects directly. The city depends on predictable rules for trade, finance and investment. It is also a centre for dispute resolution. Courts, arbitration bodies and financial institutions based there often deal with matters linked to these industries.

Professor Chaisse’s project will give governments, investors and legal professionals clear analysis and practical answers. The research will also support a new centre at CityU’s School of Law that will focus on regulation of the digital economy. This centre will provide a platform for academic work, policy discussions and training, reinforcing CityU’s position in this area.

Professor Chaisse has been ranked among the top two per cent of scientists worldwide by Stanford University since 2023. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of World Investment and Trade and the Asia Pacific Law Review. His work is often cited by international tribunals and has received awards such as the CityU Outstanding Research Award in 2023 and the RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship in 2022.