When Olabisi D. Akinkugbe was earning his PhD at the uOttawa Faculty of Law in 2017, he was known affectionately around FTX simply as ‘Bisi.’
Professor Akinkugbe brings a wealth of international experience and a deep commitment to expanding the boundaries of legal scholarship, particularly as it pertains to the Global South. His research in public international law and international economic law is informed by critical traditions, including socio-legal approaches to law, post-colonialism, and Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL).
He looks forward to working and collaborating with old friends and colleagues once again, and to “giving back to the community that gave [him] so much.”
During his tenure as the Allan Rock Visiting Professor, Professor Akinkugbe aims to introduce JD students to TWAIL scholarship, assist graduate and post-graduate students in research design, and guide post-graduate students on how to promote their scholarship beyond traditional academic outputs.
"I hope I can inspire them to dream and to know that they can achieve their dreams,” he says of his students. “And I hope they can be challenged to not accept the law as it is; to think about how they can use the knowledge they'll gain for the betterment of the society they find themselves in."
His goal is to create an environment where students feel safe to contribute to conversations without fear of judgment. "Because after all," he notes, "that’s why we are at law school—to learn. If you knew it already, you wouldn't be here."
Professor Akinkugbe also plans to introduce students to Afronomicslaw, a thriving academic community he co-founded with James T. Gathii and co-edits with Titilayo Adebola and Ohio Ominu. The platform focusses on all aspects of international economic law as they relate to Africa and the Global South, and hosts various initiatives, including the African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, the African Journal of International Economic Law, thematic symposia, webinars, and an academic forum. Professor Akinkugbe hopes to use Afronomicslaw to model the importance of giving back to society. "It's important to think," he says, "not just in terms of what you can get, but what you can give, even while you are trying to navigate what you can get."
Currently the Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law and Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Professor Akinkugbe has served as a visiting professor and faculty member, throughout his career, at esteemed institutions across Canada, Brazil, and the United States. Most recently, during the winter term of 2024, he was a visiting faculty member at the School of Law, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. From 2021 to 2024, Professor Akinkugbe was the Viscount Bennett Professor of Law at the Schulich School of Law. Prior to his tenure at the Schulich School of Law, Professor Akinkugbe was an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of New Brunswick, where he served from 2015 to 2017.
In addition to his academic roles, Professor Akinkugbe holds several leadership positions in international law and international economic law journals. He is actively involved in the governance of international societies and professional associations in his field.
The Allan Rock Fund supports Black law students at the Common Law Section by funding internships, fellowships and mentorship programs for students from Black communities. It also funds visiting professors who are members of a Black community to spend one or two terms at the Common Law Section.
Welcome back, Bisi! We look forward to the contributions and insights you will undoubtedly bring to our community.