SCL Podcast “Technology & Privacy Laws Around The World” – Episode 10: Law and Innovation in Asia

April 14, 2026

In this episode, host Mauricio Figueroa travels to Singapore to sit down with Professor Irene Calboli, founder of the IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia (IPIRA) Network.

Their conversation ranges widely: from the evolving landscape of legal scholarship and practice across Asia, to the way IPIRA’s annual conference brings together a diversity of voices from around the world. They also explore a noticeable rise in academic submissions, including the growing presence of AI-assisted research, and the challenges this presents for the field.

Irene also shared anecdotes of her career and how she teaches innovation law in a truly global legal ecosystem.

Professor Irene Calboli is Regents Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law. She specialises in intellectual property, trade, and cultural heritage law. A prolific scholar, she has published ten books and more than 100 articles, book chapters, and policy reports. She holds several honorary and visiting appointments, including at Sciences Po Paris, the University of Melbourne, Singapore University of Social Sciences, National Law School of India University, Delhi, Bocconi University, and Stanford University.

Mauricio Figueroa is a research scholar that teaches and writes on Law and Digital Technologies, and has international experience in legal research, teaching, and public policy. He is the host of the SCL podcast “Privacy and Technology Laws Around the World”.

The IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia (IPIRA) Network is an academic organisation founded in 2018 to provide a platform for discussion and exchange on intellectual property and innovation-related issues in Asia, as well as from international and comparative law perspectives. Its mission is to foster a strong research community focused on intellectual property and innovation, and to create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration among experts worldwide. The Network also seeks to promote engagement between researchers and policymakers, including officials from national governments and regional and international organisations, to support policy-oriented dialogue on intellectual property, innovation, and sustainable development.

About the podcast

Join host Mauricio Figueroa and guests on a tour of tech law from across the globe. Previous episodes have focused on the use of ‘robot judges’ in several jurisdictions, AI and environmental justice, and developments in India, the USA, Japan, Latin America, and Australia & New Zealand,

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