March 3, 2020
Last month, the Allard School of Law was pleased to host Usha Natarajan, one of the world’s leading scholars in Third World Approaches to International Law.
Last month, the Allard School of Law was pleased to host Usha Natarajan, one of the world’s leading scholars in an increasingly recognized area of law known as Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL). TWAIL looks at new approaches to international law that embrace inclusivity and empowerment, particularly for countries in historically unrepresented and oppressed areas of the world.
An Associate Professor of International Law at the American University in Cairo and the Associate Director of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, Professor Natarajan spent her time here meeting with faculty and students and providing her perspective on issues around global inequity. She also held a special lecture on new approaches to international law and the environment.
“I was very inspired by speaking to first-year students and graduate research students in particular,” says Professor Natarajan. “They are really engaged with Global South issues and with solidarity issues. We spoke about the issues that trouble them and they asked excellent and perceptive questions. It was impressive.”
Professor Natarajan is the first scholar to visit the Allard School of Law as part of the recently established visiting scholar-in-residence program for those working in the Global South.
“The Allard School of Law is home to a number of scholars who have made significant contributions in areas of international law,” explained Toby Susan Goldbach, Assistant Professor at the Allard School of Law. “The establishment of this new program is a tremendous opportunity both for scholars in the Global South to work alongside faculty at Allard Law and also for us to learn from our colleagues who are doing cutting edge research in International Law.”
