On September 15, 2025, Sean Cooney, Global Chair Scholar at Peking University School of Law and Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Melbourne, Australia, delivered an academic lecture titled “Focused Observations on South Asian Labor Law.” The lecture was chaired by Prof. Ye Jingyi of Peking University Law School, with A. P. Chen Yifeng serving as discussant. Participants included Wang Tianyu, Research Fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Wu Yixuan, Lecturer at the School of Law, Beijing Foreign Studies University; Qi Yiduo, Head of the Labor Law Practice Department at Hengdu Law Firm; and numerous faculty members and students from the Law School. The venue was packed to capacity, reflecting the academic community's keen interest in the topic.

At the outset, moderator Prof. Ye Jingyi introduced Prof. Cooney's academic background: he holds dual professional qualifications in labor law and administrative law, with research spanning legal history, comparative labor law, and occupational health and safety. She also highlighted that Prof. Cooney is a long-standing friend of Peking University Law School and the Institute of Social Law, maintaining excellent collaborative ties over the years. In recent years, as a Global Chair Scholar at Peking University Law School, he has frequently taught at the institution and co-supervised numerous students with the school. Prof. Cooney not only delves deeply into theoretical research but also participates in labor law reform projects year-round, providing practical policy recommendations for labor laws in countries such as India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam. His integration of academic and practical expertise ensures his lectures possess both theoretical depth and real-world relevance. Prof. Ye Jingyi further emphasized that Prof. Cooney is recognized internationally as a “bridge” between academia and policy circles, with his research offering significant insights into understanding the contemporary global landscape of labor governance.

Speaker Profile

Sean Cooney is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on international law, comparative labor law, and employment law with an emphasis on Asia. He is dedicated to exploring new approaches to enhancing international labor standards. He has participated in multiple projects examining China's labor law reforms, the enforcement of Australian labor law, and assessing the impact of legal changes in Asia-Pacific countries. He has published numerous academic articles in legal journals in the United States, China, and Australia. From 2014 to 2016, he served as an expert in the ILO's Labour Law and Reform Department in Geneva, advising governments in China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam. He continues to consult for the ILO. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Melbourne and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and has practiced law in the fields of labor law and administrative law.

Translated by: Song Zimeng

Edited by:Zhang Wenyi