Francine Hug

Bio

Dr. Francine HUG is a Lecturer at Western Sydney University, School of Law. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong working on coal phase-out along the Belt & Road and Visiting Scholar at East-West Center (USA). Prior to academia, Francine served as Senior Economic Officer at the Embassy of Switzerland to China, Mongolia, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, where she negotiated treaties and provided ministerial advice on trade and energy laws.

• Postdoctoral Fellow

  Chinese University of Hong Kong - Full-time From March 2023 to February 2025

  - Hong Kong Research Grant Council project entitled ‘Phasing out Coal along the Belt and Road: Traditional Regulation and Market-based Approaches’ led by Professor Anatole Boute; rn- Aiming at advancing in-depth understanding of legal reforms to accelerate coal-fired power generation phase-out along the BRI while minimising legal tensions between foreign investors and host states;rn- Focusing on legal regimes of key destinations for Chinese coal-based electricity investments in Asia.

• Senior Economic Officer

  Embassy of Switzerland to China, Mongolia, and DPRK - Full-time From February 2011 to September 2015

  Active involvement in bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and Chinese Ministries; Monitoring and follow-up negotiations on FTA implementation;rnNegotiations and revisions (Chinese version) of bilateral Agreements i.e. Double-taxation; Investment; Transport; Energy; Environment; Social Security; Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Cosmetics; Medical Devices; Clean technology projects in Sino-Swiss Ecological Industrial Park.

• Project Officer

  CCEFIRO - Foro Salud - Full-time From January 2016 to June 2016

  Awareness-raising workshops in regional municipalities on HIV-prevention; Proposal of health policy amendments in current legislation for improved rights and fairer access to health infrastructure for people living with AIDS, particularly from vulnerable communities and including Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ rights; Regular meetings with Members of Parliament and relevant Ministries in view of the presidential elections; Coordination with pharmaceutical companies for better access to HIV-medication.

• Project Manager

  Blue Mountain Coffee Farms Ltd. - Full-time From November 2009 to February 2010

  Reporting on sustainable development for smallholder farming communities; Assistance in irrigation, soil protection, stove construction and hydro-electric power device projects; Setting-up of the NGO Kilimanjaro Project Initiative Charitable Association; Cooperation on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) precursors, and micro-financing with German Development Agency (GIZ), local and international NGOs, as well as business partners like Starbucks.

• Project Manager

  Blue Mountain Coffee Farms Ltd. - Full-time From November 2009 to February 2010

  Reporting on sustainable development for smallholder farming communities; Assistance in irrigation, soil protection, stove construction and hydro-electric power device projects; Setting-up of the NGO Kilimanjaro Project Initiative Charitable Association; Cooperation on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) precursors, and micro-financing with German Development Agency (GIZ), local and international NGOs, as well as business partners like Starbucks.

• Lecturer (Level B)

  Western Sydney University, School of Law - Contract / consultant From February 2025 to Present

  - Director of Joint Modern Slavery Legislative Project in Nepal in cooperation with National Human Rights Commission of Nepal; rn- Lead Investigator for collaborative seed funding grant on project titled 'The Pacific's Cyber Infrastructure: Detangling Regulatory Tensions Amongst Multiple Actors' in cooperation with Institute for Culture and Society; rn-Researching on regulatory frameworks governing energy and technology investments in the Pacific;rn- Working on School of Law's curriculum review.

• PhD in Law

  National University of Singapore From August 2016 to May 2022
• MA in International Law

  School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London From September 2008 to September 2009
• BA in Chinese Studies and Economics

  Beijing Language and Culture University From August 2004 to January 2008

Climate policy Coal Competition Law Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) Energy consumers' rights Energy Law Energy policy Environmental policy Environmental Regulation Institutional/public affairs

• Chinese
• French
• German
• Italian
• Simplified Chinese
• Spanish
• Swiss German
• Traditional Chinese

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