University of Richmond School of Law professor wins Fulbright Award to teach energy and global warming law in China
September 4, 2008
Joel B. Eisen, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, will teach next spring at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) in Beijing through the Fulbright Scholar Program.
One of China's most prestigious law schools, CUPL is an important center for exchange programs in law between China and the rest of the world, with ties to more than 70 universities from 20 countries and regions. Its graduates practice in the government, the judiciary and major law firms in China.
"CUPL is renowned throughout China as a center of legal academic excellence, and it is a focal point for studying how China can adapt to the considerable challenges of the 21st century," said Eisen.
As a Fulbright lecturer, Eisen will teach Chinese students courses in energy and global warming law. According to Eisen, China "is at an early stage of developing its environmental protection and energy laws, and there is much that the U.S. and China can learn from each other." He added, "Recently, CUPL has become a leading center for the study of environmental law and attention to public involvement in protecting the environment. I look forward to working with law students, Chinese scholars and governmental officials to discuss how both nations can address their compelling environmental issues."
As an example of international collaboration, Eisen will join other Fulbright professors based in China to write and edit a book on American law for Chinese law students and scholars.
John G. Douglass, dean of Richmond Law, said, "For over a decade Joel has been an intellectual leader in the fields of environmental law and energy policy. He is the perfect choice to join with colleagues at an esteemed Chinese institution in exploring global solutions to serious international environmental and energy problems."
The Fulbright program, established in 1946, is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U. S. Department of State. The program was the creation of the late Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. According to the State Department, it is the "flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government," and is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." Awardees are selected on the basis of academic achievement and demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields. About 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals will travel to approximately 130 countries through the scholar program during the 2008-09 academic year.
Eisen earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a J.D. degree from Stanford University Law School. He is a co-author of the leading law and business school textbook on energy law, "Energy, Economics and the Environment." He teaches law school courses and environmental law and policy in Richmond’s undergraduate environmental studies program.