Director’s Message
It is with great honour that I assume the role of Director of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) starting July 1, 2025. Active for over a quarter of a century, AIIFL has built a significant legacy as one of the Faculty of Law’s most enduring research centres. I am deeply grateful for the foundational work of my predecessors, whose efforts have positioned AIIFL as a leading voice in the complex and dynamic field of international financial law.
Vision
Depth over breadth, transformation over transaction, impact over volume. These principles shape my vision for AIIFL as I assume its directorship. My journey through international financial law and regulation, engaging in scholarly and policy work, has reinforced my conviction that meaningful change comes not from the quantity of our efforts but from their precision and rigor. Only through this process can our research truly make a difference in the communities we serve.
AIIFL occupies a singular position in the global landscape of legal scholarship. Founded in 1999 to support the University and the Faculty of Law’s expertise in financial law, AIIFL has grown into a premier research centre that addresses current issues in financial and economic law, from the multifaceted relationship between law, technology, and finance to the sustainability challenges that lawyers and policymakers must face. As the second-oldest research centre at the HKU Faculty of Law, this evolution was made possible because AIIFL constantly adapted to a changing landscape, bridging different disciplines and intellectual traditions, connecting common law with civil law, and combining theoretical rigor with policy application. Additionally, our home, Hong Kong, provides an unparalleled vantage point for understanding the future of global financial and economic law.
Yet, institutional heritage and ideal location alone do not guarantee continued relevance. In an era where noise often covers solid research and its impact on societies, AIIFL strives to chart a different course. We will be curators of excellence, leveraging the authoritative voices of our Faculty Members and our broader community.
Three Strategic Pillars
As we chart the course for the coming years, we will be guided by a clear strategic vision. To support our thought-leadership in financial and economic law, our strategy is one of focused excellence—prioritizing quality over quantity. In alignment with the University’s 3+1 strategic framework (emphasizing Internationalization, Innovation, and Interdisciplinarity, all converging on Impact), this philosophy will ensure our work is not only timely but of true and lasting impact.
To realise this vision, we will concentrate our efforts on three key pillars:
- Premier International Conferences: We will convene a select number of landmark international conferences, bringing together leading academics, practitioners, and policymakers from around the globe, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region, to stimulate constructive dialogues to address the most pressing issues in financial and economic law.
- Dedicated Seminar Series: To foster a vibrant intellectual community here at the HKU Law, we will support public lectures and launch dedicated seminar series. These forums will provide a regular platform to engage with novel ideas and groundbreaking research in a collegial and rigorous environment.
- Impactful Research: The research agenda of our Faculty Members is known for its ambitious and innovative contributions. We will champion research projects that not only contribute to scholarly literature but also offer valuable insights for the legal, financial, and regulatory communities, particularly in areas that shape the future of Asia and beyond.
Underpinning all our work will be a commitment to collaboration through strategic partnerships. As we embark on this journey, I invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students to join us in reimagining what a research institute can achieve. Whether through collaborative research or thoughtful dialogue, we seek partners who share our vision and commitment to rigorous scholarship.
The future of financial and economic law will be written not in isolation, but through careful collaboration among those who combine intellectual excellence with moral purpose. At AIIFL, we are ready to play our part.
Prof Giuliano G. Castellano
Associate Professor
Director, Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL)