Matthieu Burnay Burnay

Reader in Global Law, Queen Mary University of London School of Law

Dr Matthieu Burnay is a Reader in Global Law at Queen Mary University of London as well as an Associate Researcher at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, University of Leuven. In 2023-24, he is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Bologna. Matthieu has an interdisciplinary background in law, political science and history of international relations. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Leuven and a Double MSc degree in International Affairs from Peking University and the London School of Economics. At Queen Mary School of Law, Dr Burnay serves as Director International, Co-Director of the Centre for European and International Legal Affairs, as well as Academic Lead for the Double Degree in English and French Law. He teaches the undergraduate courses ‘Law and Globalisation’, ‘Global Law and Governance’, and ‘Chinese Law and Institutions’. At the university level, he holds a senior management position as pathway lead ‘Rights, Diversity, and Inclusivity’ at the Queen Mary Global Policy Institute. His main research interests are in global law and governance; the study of the legal aspects of EU-China relations with a specific focus on their implications for (global) rule of law and human rights; the comparative study of the rule of law in the European Union and Asia; as well as comparative international law. He has recently focused on the rule of law and human rights implications of EU-China criminal justice cooperation with a specific focus on extradition; EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment; as well as the EU’s and China’s engagement with the global commons. He is also increasingly interested in issues relating to corporate due diligence, transnational repression and surveillance, academic freedom, as well as citizenship in the specific contexts of EU-China relations. He has published widely on these issues including a monograph ‘Chinese Perspectives on the International Rule of Law; Law and Politics in the One-Party State’ (Edward Elgar, 2018). In 2018, he was awarded a Jean Monnet Network on EU-China Legal and Judicial Cooperation (EUPLANT). He has held Visiting Professorships and lectured in many universities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America including, Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, Jindal Global University, Catholic University of Louvain, Seoul National University, University of Bologna, University of Rwanda, Tsinghua University, and the University of Rotterdam. He has been consulted on China-related issues by the European Parliament, Council of the EU, European External Action Service, EU Committee of the Regions, UK Cabinet Office, Belgian Ministry of Justice, as well as national courts. He now serves as academic coordinator of the Civil Service China Capability Training Course convened by the Great Britain China Centre (GBCC). In 2014, he received a Scientific Prize Gustave Boël - Sofina Fellowship from the King Baudouin Foundation.