Five minutes with our newest Law School members

Where law and the environment intersect, two new academics in the Macquarie Law School are doing future-shaping research. Associate Professor Nengye Liu's fascination with the importance of oceans has led to his work around the Law of the Sea, while Dr Michelle Lim's research in biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods has taken her from Borneo to Tanzania and now to Macquarie.

Nengye and Michelle will soon be joined by four more new Law School academics: Dr Tina Soliman Hunter, Dr Monika Zalnieriute, Dr Daniela Simone and Dr Shireen Morris.

Dr Michelle Lim

Where were you before joining MQ?

The School of Law at the University of Adelaide.

How did you originally become interested in your area of research, and what keeps you interested in it?

My work looks at the role of law in the context of the nexus between biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

Ever since I can remember I've felt an infinity with the natural world. At the same time, even as a kid growing up in the 90s, I've always been acutely aware of the declining state of biodiversity and the importance of its conservation. Growing up on the island of Borneo and then volunteering with the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania in my early-twenties really brought home to me the fact that conservation needs to centre the needs and knowledges of local peoples.

I can't imagine ever not being interested in learning about how the natural world works and the multiple relationships we humans have with nature. I'm also driven by a sense of responsibility and purpose which arise from a belief that my work may make a contribution to facilitating the realisation of desirable futures for humans and nature.

Why is your research important?

The globally interconnected social-ecological challenges of our times mean that our histories can no longer serve as accurate indicators of our future. Meanwhile, existing environmental law frameworks are largely highly reactive, responding to disasters as they happen. At the same time, law tends to operate at least 20 years behind the science. My research seeks to encourage thinking about multiple plausible futures and to facilitate thinking about the implications of emerging scientific concepts for law.

My work is important because it facilitates imaginings of a range of realistic yet desirable futures and then asks how legal frameworks can be reformed or designed to achieve the futures we want for biodiversity.

What would people be surprised to know about you or your work?

People may be surprised to know that I am an identical twin.

What would people be surprised to know about my work...I got to speak on a panel at WOMADelaide this year with Will Steffen, Damon Gameau, the ABC's Bernie Hobbs and Adelaide's Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor - that was definitely a career highlight.

What are you looking forward to in your first few months at Macquarie?

In just my first few days here I've had some wonderful chats with colleagues in the Law School and the Faculty. I'm really excited not only about the incredibly interesting scholarship that is occurring across the University but importantly the culture of interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration. I'm therefore really looking forward to furthering existing discussions and to meeting more people across the campus in my research area. I'm also very keen to identify where the best vending machines are.

Associate Professor Nengye Liu

Where were you before joining MQ?

I grew up in mainland China, educated in Europe and followed my wife Michelle to live and work in Australia since 2015. Prior to MQ, I was in Australia’s highest city - Armidale (University of New England) for a while, then at the University of Adelaide.

How did you originally become interested in your area of research, and what keeps you interested in it?

I first became interested in the law of the sea when doing my PhD in Ghent, Belgium, on the prevention of marine pollution from shipping. The Belgian public train system is very good and accessible for travelling around the country. In a rare sunny day, from Flemish coastal city Ostend, I used to watch busy shipping across the English channel. As time goes by, I travelled to a lot of great maritime cities around the world, such as London, Hamburg, Antwerp, Singapore, Busan and Shanghai, and even to those gateway cities to the Poles, e.g, Tromsø, Ushuaia and Hobart. It keeps reminding me how important the ocean means for human beings and drives my passion in developing international law to better protect our oceans.

Why is your research important?

The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet. A sustainable and healthy ocean is essential for the future of human beings. It is crucial that international law governing human activities in the world’s oceans is well designed to tackle significant challenges in our time, such as global warming and geopolitical competition.

What would people be surprised to know about you or your work?

If you are a fan of English afternoon tea, you may have heard about Keemun black tea. Keemun is actually my hometown, a beautiful little place in mountainous area of Southern Anhui Province. Regarding my work, I am among those who talked a lot about the Antarctic Treaty, but have never been to that frozen continent yet. Before the pandemic, it was my plan though to join a cruise ship (as a scientific lecturer) to the Antarctic peninsula in the coming summer. Now…..

What are you looking forward to in your first few months at Macquarie?

I am looking forward to getting to know the history of Macquarie in coming months, and visiting Museums on campus. History is one of my nerdy interests.