Jan Wouters

Focus Areas: Global Governance; International Law; EU Law; Human Rights; World Trade; Laws of War

Jan Wouters is Full Professor of International Law and International Organizations and Jean Monnet Chair ad personam in EU and Global Governance at KU Leuven. He is the founding Director of the Institute for International Law and of the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, an interdisciplinary research center recognized as both a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and a KU Leuven Centre of Excellence. He also serves as Administrator of the America Europe Fund at KU Leuven. 

Professor Wouters studied law and philosophy at the University of Antwerp, earned an LL.M. from Yale University, and was a Visiting Researcher at Harvard University. He teaches EU external relations law as Visiting Professor at Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas and the College of Europe. At Columbia University, he serves as Adjunct Professor, where he teaches EU human rights law and policy. 

His research focuses on international and European Union law, international organizations, global governance, and corporate and financial law. He has published extensively, including more than 80 books, 150 journal articles, and 300 book chapters. His recent publications address topics such as global governance, human rights, the rule of law, EU external relations, and the role of international institutions. 

Professor Wouters is a Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts and a member of the Dutch Advisory Committee on Public International Law. He is Editor of the International Encyclopedia of Intergovernmental Organizations, Deputy Director of the Revue Belge de Droit International, and serves on the editorial boards of multiple international law journals. He also practices law as Of Counsel at Omega Law in Antwerp. 

In addition to his academic work, Professor Wouters regularly advises international organizations and governments, trains international officials, and contributes commentary on international and European affairs in the media. 

Education

• PhD, KU Leuven
• Yale Law School
• University of Antwerp

Honors and Awards

• International Visiting Professor, Columbia University School of Law (2024)
• Visiting Professor, University of Turin (2023)
• Una Europa Chairholder, Alma Mater Studiorium Università di Bologna (2023)
• Cattedra Giorgio Balladore Pallieri, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan (since 2022)
• Serge Lazareff Prize for Excellence in Legal Services, SHAPE (2023)
• Visiting Professor, AIELPO LL.M. in International Economic Law (2020-21)
• Distinguished Visiting Professor, World Trade Institute, Bern (2020-22)
• Visiting Professor, Department of Law, Queen Mary University, London (2020-22)
• Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, Université Paris 2 (Panthéon-Assas) (2019-2025)
• Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Trento (2019)
• Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law (Common Law), University of Ottawa (2019)
• Member, Advisory Council, Queen Mary Global Policy Institute (since 2018)
• Visiting Professor, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2016-17)
• Herbert Smith Freehills Visiting Professor, Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, Cambridge University (2016-17)
• Adjunct Professor, Columbia University (since 2015)
• Member, Advisory Board, Centre for Multilevel Federalism, Delhi, India (since 2015)
• Senior Visiting Fellow, the Graduate Institute, Geneva, Spring 2014
• International Chair, Luiss University, Rome, Spring 2014
• Visiting Professor, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Spring 2014
• Senior Visiting Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Bologna, 2013
• Course Holder of the course « Le statut juridique des standards publics et privés dans les relations économiques internationales », Hague Academy of International Law, 29 July - 2 August 2013, The Hague
• Honorary Visiting Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2012
• Visiting Scholar, Centre d’Etudes européennes, SciencesPo, Paris, 2012
• Senior Visiting Fellow, European Union Institute for Security Studies, Paris, 2012
• Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS), 2010
• Honorary President, United Nations Association Flanders – Belgium (Vereniging voor de Verenigde Naties) (since 2009; President 2003-2009, 2013-2018)
• Jean Monnet Chair ad personam European Union and Global Governance granted by European Commission (since 2009)
• Member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts (since 2008)
• Fernand Braudel Fellow, European University Institute, 2008
• Visiting Professor, College of Europe (Bruges) (2006-2025)
• Honorary Member, Association of International Relations (“Kring Internationale Betrekkingen”, Leuven), since 2002
• Stibbe Prize, 1997
• Walter Leën Prize for Social Law, 1996
• Rotary Foundation Fellow, 1990-91
• Francqui Fellow, Belgian American Educational Foundation, 1989-90