Harvard Law Professor Matthew Stephenson speaking at AUPP on Friday September 19th.

Harvard Law School Professor Matthew Stephenson was the first visiting speaker of the 2014-15 academic year to address students and faculty at AUPP. In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session, Professor Stephenson spoke about his areas of academic expertise, which include administrative law (“rules about how government agencies make rules,”) legislation and regulation, and the political economy of public law.

Professor Stephenson has a particular interest in anti-corruption law, and is Editor-in-Chief of the website The Global Anticorruption Blog. He is currently in Southeast Asia as part of a research project focusing on how issues of corruption and anti-corruption are related to upcoming regional economic integration within ASEAN.

In answer to questions from the audience, he spoke about the legal and constitutional limitations on the executive powers of the US President, obstacles to the implementation of anti-corruption laws worldwide, and ways in which legal systems can be strengthened in countries where corruption is widespread.

AUPP has a tradition of inviting experts on a variety of topics – especially those related to the major fields of study offered at the university – to visit campus and share their experiences and insights with students and faculty.