Warwick Law School welcomes a new Assistant Professor to our community.

Prior to joining Warwick, Svitlana Lebedenko was a Hauser Fellow at the New York University School of Law’s Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy and a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. She tells us “I was lucky to work with two wonderful mentors, Peter Drahos and Rochelle Dreyfuss. My main project during those years was a study of Russian information capitalism. I focused on the biotech and information technology industries and relied on a mix of semi-structured interviews, archival material, and interdisciplinary work in law and innovation studies.”

When asked about joining Warwick Law School as a faculty member, Svitlana told us,

“It is a great honour to join the faculty of Warwick Law School. Warwick is renowned for its law in context approach and is one of the most international universities in the world. It is a place that takes research seriously and supports free thinkers. My new colleagues are warm, inspiring, and fun. My students are active, motivated, and eager to learn. I am really excited to be working in such a vibrant environment.”

We chatted more...

What are your research interests?

I study how different countries deal with the pressure to develop new technologies and how they design institutions to achieve a flow of innovation that serves the needs of their people. These issues are complex and require engagement with ideas beyond law, including history of science, innovation studies, and political economy.

What current research projects are you involved in?

I am currently working on two major projects. The first looks at a variety of institutional approaches to innovation and analyses how the world’s major innovation systems deal with the regulatory space available to them under international treaties to regulate their technology markets. The second project analyses the institution of intellectual property through the lens of futures studies. I am also part of the Global Governance Programme at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute, where I work in a community of scholars addressing governance issues from both academic and policy perspectives.

What will you be doing at Warwick?

I will be offering a new postgraduate course on Industrial Policy, Innovation, and Law. Countries around the world are increasingly turning to industrial policy, whether directly or indirectly, which can create tensions within existing international legal frameworks. I want my students to understand and be prepared to navigate this complex and dynamic environment. I will also be part of teaching teams on undergraduate modules in Intellectual Property Law and International Economic Law. Warwick University feels like a city, and as a newcomer, I plan to explore its many ‘neighbourhoods,’ exchanging ideas in the Law School’s research seminars, chatting with innovators at the Science Park, checking out cultural events at the Warwick Arts Centre, and hopefully carving out some time to play volleyball at Warwick Sports.

Professor Andrew Williams, Head of School has said "I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues to our academic team. They are outstanding scholars in a variety of fields who each promise to become a major part of our community over the coming years".

Good luck in your first term Svitlana, we are thrilled to have you with us.