Establishment of the UNESCO Chair at SMU Marks a Milestone in Legal Innovation
Singapore Management University (SMU) has achieved a significant milestone with the establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability Law Futures at its Yong Pung How School of Law. Announced on March 30, 2026, this initiative positions SMU as a leader in addressing sustainability challenges through forward-thinking legal frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) program connects over 1,100 chairs across 130 countries, fostering collaboration among more than 10,000 academics worldwide to advance education, science, and sustainable development.
The Chair emphasizes developing legal approaches that anticipate emerging environmental risks and opportunities. It aligns perfectly with Singapore's ambitious sustainability goals, including the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which aims to create a greener, more resilient nation through whole-of-society efforts in sustainable development.
Meet Associate Professor Michelle Lim: A Sarawakian Trailblazer in Sustainability Law
Leading this prestigious Chair is Associate Professor Michelle Lim, a Sarawak-born scholar from Matang, Kuching. A former student of St Paul’s Primary School and Chung Hua Middle School No 1, Lim brings a unique perspective shaped by her roots in Borneo's biodiverse landscapes to Singapore's vibrant academic scene. Holding a PhD from the University of New England in Australia on transboundary biodiversity conservation, along with double degrees in Ecosystem Management and Law (First-Class Honours), her career spans institutions like Macquarie University, University of Adelaide, and the UNESCO Centre for Water Law at the University of Dundee.
Lim's appointment underscores SMU's commitment to attracting top global talent to bolster Singapore's higher education landscape. Her interdisciplinary expertise bridges law, ecology, and futures studies, making her ideally suited to pioneer sustainability law innovations.
Michelle Lim's Groundbreaking Research and Publications
Assoc Prof Lim's scholarship has garnered international acclaim, with key works like her edited volume Charting Environmental Law Futures in the Anthropocene (Springer, 2019), which explores legal responses to planetary-scale environmental change. Her paper "Extinction: hidden in plain sight" won the 2021 Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand publication prize, highlighting storytelling's role in revealing environmental law's blind spots. As a Fellow on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment and author of the IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored report on biodiversity and climate change, she stands out as one of few legal experts in these global panels.
- Transformative governance of biodiversity: insights for sustainable development (308 citations)
- Reframing the Sustainable Development Goals for the Anthropocene (265 citations)
- Governing the biodiversity-climate-society nexus (169 citations)
These contributions, focusing on equity, transboundary conservation, and imaginative legal methods like speculative fiction, position her to lead transformative research at SMU.
The UNESCO Chairs Programme: Empowering Global Higher Education Collaboration
Launched in 1992 as part of the UNITWIN network, UNESCO Chairs promote inter-university cooperation to tackle global challenges. In Singapore, this marks a new addition alongside NUS's Chairs in architectural heritage and social policy design. Benefits include access to international networks, funding opportunities, and policy influence, enhancing the host university's research capacity and global visibility.
For SMU students and faculty, the Chair opens doors to joint projects, exchanges, and training, enriching higher education in sustainability law.
Alignment with SMU's SMU2030 Strategic Vision
SMU President Professor Lily Kong emphasized the Chair's fit with SMU2030, the university's plan for purposeful impact: "This initiative embodies our vision of creating knowledge that matters, building platforms for global collaboration and legal innovation." Yong Pung How School of Law, known for its practical, Asia-focused legal education, gains a platform to integrate sustainability across curricula.
Futures-Oriented Approaches: Storytelling and Law in Sustainability
Lim envisions the Chair exploring "futures approaches to sustainability law," particularly storytelling as intangible cultural heritage and legal tool to connect past wisdom with future designs for people and planet. This innovative method challenges traditional legal scholarship, incorporating fiction and affective engagement to foster resilient governance.
Activities include collaborative research, open-access resources, public dialogues, teaching, and training, contributing to UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector.
Regional Impact: Addressing Asia-Pacific Sustainability Challenges
In the Asia-Pacific, rapid urbanization, biodiversity loss, and climate risks demand adaptive laws. The Chair will convene scholars, policymakers, and communities, drawing on Lim's expertise in Heart of Borneo conservation to inform transboundary solutions. For more on the announcement, see the SMU press release.
Singapore's Higher Education Embrace of Sustainability
Singapore universities lead in sustainability: NUS offers Master's in Environmental Management, NTU's Executive MSc in Sustainability Management, and SMU's Master of Sustainability and courses like Introduction to Sustainability Law, where students grow native plants while studying urban environmental law. The Green Plan 2030 integrates sustainability into education, with universities producing research on climate adaptation and green economy transitions.
This Chair elevates SMU's role, offering students hands-on opportunities in futures law.
Upcoming Initiatives and Opportunities for Collaboration
Expect workshops, seminars, and interdisciplinary projects under the Singapore Sustainable Futures Initiative (SSFI). Partnerships with regional bodies and IPBES could yield policy papers and training for ASEAN lawyers. Students may engage in research on biodiversity credits or climate litigation.
Explore UNESCO's details at the UNITWIN page.
Career Implications for Law Graduates in Sustainability
The Chair signals rising demand for sustainability lawyers in Singapore's green economy. Graduates skilled in ESG law, biodiversity governance, and futures thinking will thrive in roles at firms, government agencies like the National Climate Change Secretariat, and international organizations. SMU's practical training prepares them for this niche.
Future Outlook: Shaping Just and Sustainable Legal Futures
As sustainability challenges intensify, the UNESCO Chair at SMU promises to influence policy, education, and practice. With Lim at the helm, it heralds a new era for Singapore higher education, blending Borneo's natural heritage with global legal innovation for a resilient Asia-Pacific.
