United Nations University Hub
United Nations University Hub on Green and Green Regionalism
The United Nations University (UNU) Hub on Green and Digital Regionalism represents a pioneering initiative at the intersection of environmental sustainability, digital transformation, and regional integration. As a key initiative of the Centre for Digital Law at the at Singapore Management University (SMU) Yong Pung How School of Law, the Hub is affiliated with the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS). The Hub will serve as Asia’s flagship research and capacity-building centre advancing interdisciplinary green and digital regionalism.
The UNU Hub will leverage Singapore’s strategic position as a leader in digital innovation and climate action within the ASEAN region, alongside the global expertise of SMU and UNU-CRIS in comparative regional integration studies. Through cutting-edge research, doctoral training, policy engagement, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, the Hub will generate actionable knowledge to inform regional frameworks on the green economy, digital trade, and the nexus between technology and sustainability. This initiative directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and Singapore’s green and digital transformation.
UNU Hub Programme
The UNU Hub Programme represents a strategic institutional mechanism through which the UNU extends its research, capacity-building, and policy engagement activities globally by partnering with leading academic institutions. The rationale for establishing the UNU Hub on Green and Digital Regionalism at SMU rests on three converging imperatives: the systemic disruption of global governance, the paradigm shift towards regional frameworks, and Asia’s centrality to sustainability and digital transitions.
Ongoing geopolitical conflicts and the paralysis of WTO negotiations have fundamentally undermined the post-war multilateral order. From the CPTPP to the EU’s Green Deal and Singapore’s green and digital economy agreements, regional frameworks are increasingly setting the pace for innovation in global governance. In this context, Asia stands at the epicentre of both digital transformation and climate challenges, accounting for roughly half of global carbon emissions while serving as a leading hub for AI and digital innovation.
The nexus between environmental sustainability and digital transformation presents complex challenges and opportunities that existing policy and research institutions have yet to address holistically. These include the governance of energy-intensive AI systems, the use of blockchain and data analytics to enhance climate action, the digitalisation of trade in environmental goods and services, and the algorithmic regulation of sustainability standards. The Hub is therefore uniquely positioned to enable both institutions to lead in shaping the emerging green–digital nexus within regional governance frameworks.
Outreach And Impact
The UNU Hub will prioritise outreach and advocacy to ensure that research on green and digital regionalism informs policy, industry practices, and public understanding. Public education initiatives will include academic conferences, webinars, and social media engagement to amplify research findings, fostering a two-way exchange between research and practice and enhancing both the relevance and impact of the Hub’s work.
Policy engagement will be central to the Hub’s mission, targeting regional organisations such as the ASEAN and APEC Secretariats, government agencies in Singapore and other Asia-Pacific states, and multilateral institutions including the WTO. The Hub will provide advisory support, participate in working groups, and contribute policy recommendations to inform green economy frameworks, digital trade agreements, and sustainable development initiatives. Engagement with business and industry will complement this work through advisory services, partnerships on ESG standards, and collaboration on sustainable finance frameworks.
To further promote dialogue and knowledge transfer, the Hub will convene flagship conferences, smaller regional policy dialogues, and expert working groups. Outputs will include academic publications in top-tier journals and policy briefs on the state of green and digital regionalism. As the first major event highlighting the official launch of the Hub, the Asian International Economic Law Network Conference will be held at SMU in December 2026, with the expected publication of a special issue of the Journal of World Investment & Trade.
Organisation of the Hub
The Head of the UNU Hub is Professor Pasha Hsieh of the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law. Other SMU members include Dr Stefanie Schacherer, Dr Yvonne Guo, and Ms Tran Hoang Tu Linh.
The International Advisory Board includes Professors Philippe De Lombaerde (UNU-CRIS), Nidhi Nagabhatla (UNU-CRIS), Armin Cuyvers (Leiden University), Jason Rudall (Leiden University), Joanna Lam (University of Copenhagen), and Scott Lin (National Chengchi University). Board members, together with external research fellows and industry fellows of the Centre for Digital Law, will provide strategic advice on the objectives and implementation of the Hub’s initiatives.
Green and digital transformation underscores a new era of global regionalism.
The UNU Hub at SMU will help realise the promise of Asia-Pacific cooperation and advance an interdisciplinary understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Professor Pasha Hsieh
Head of UNU Hub on Green and Digital Regionalism
Lee Kong Chian Professor of Law and Jean Monnet Chair
