Copyright © 2024 Peking University School of Transnational Law.
Professor of Law
Email: sykang@stl.pku.edu.cn、sang918@gmail.com
Business Associations (U.S. Corporate Law)
Corporate Governance from the Global Perspective
Economic Analysis of Corporate Law
Securities Regulation
Seminar: Corporations and Financial Markets
Seminar: East Asian Economic Structure
Columbia University, School of Law, J.S.D. (Doctor of Science of Law)
Columbia University, School of Law, LL.M.
Yonsei University, LL.B (Law)
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, M.A.L.D.
Yonsei University, B.A. (Economics)
KANG, Sang Yop(姜尚燁 in Chinese: 강상엽 in Korean) is Professor of Law (full professorship with tenure) at Peking University, School of Transnational Law. He teaches and researches in the areas of corporate governance, corporate law (general theory; US; Korea; China), securities regulations, M&As, capital markets, financial market regulations, banking policies and regulations, law and economics, law and finance, law and politics, executive compensation, Chinese economic policies, Chinese corporate governance, East Asian economies and legal systems, political economy, etc. In addition, more specifically, he currently conducts research on startups and venture capitals, corporate groups, institutional investors, hedge funds and private equity funds, shareholder activism and institutional investors’ stewardship, ESG (environmental, social, and governance), digital economy (e.g., metaverse, cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies), the platform business, and fintech.
In high school, Professor Kang was interested in politics, economics, and law as well as mathematics, science, and music. Originally, he was a student in the science major (理科) in high school. However, he seriously considered studying music in a university as a major to become a professional composer. After much confusion and thought in high school, when he took a national university entrance examination, he eventually decided to study economics. Professor Kang entered Yonsei University in Korea as a recipient of the four-year full scholarship, which was awarded to the entering students with the highest national university entrance examination scores. At Yonsei University’s College of Business and Economics, he graduated in the top 1%. After graduation from his undergraduate study at Yonsei, Professor Kang was admitted to economics Ph.D. programs at two Ivy League universities in the U.S. However, he gave up such an opportunity since he thought that it was the last chance to study international relations that he had been interested in for a long time. Accordingly, Professor Kang decided to study at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. After graduation from the Fletcher School, he worked in the capital market, where he was curious about corporate governance and capital market regulation. To resolve his curiosity, Professor Kang decided to study law. He finished his law degree at Yonsei University (College of Law, graduation at top 1%). Then, Professor Kang studied law further in the U.S. He holds an LL.M. (Master of Law) degree and a J.S.D. (Doctor of the Science of Law) degree at Columbia University School of Law. Professor Kang is also a Research Member of the ECGI (European Corporate Governance Institute), the most prestigious global academic association for the corporate governance scholarship (law, economics, and finance). He is one of a few ECGI Research Members in mainland China.
At Columbia Law School, Professor Kang was Fiske Harlan Stone Scholar (academic distinction), Herman Finkelstein Fellow, and a research fellow in the Visiting Scholar Program. Since he taught at Peking University School of Transnational Law, Professor Kang visited Columbia Law School as a fellow in the Program in the Law and Economics of Capital Markets. In addition, he visited Harvard Law School by invitation from the Program on Corporate Governance. Also, Professor Kang visited Stanford Law School and researched corporate governance with a faculty member there. He was invited to conduct research at Seoul National University Law School (서울대학교 법학전문대학원) as well. In addition, Professor Kang was invited to teach corporate governance at the University of Tokyo (东京大学) Law School in Japan. He has been often invited as a speaker in numerous conferences from many countries. Professor Kang also visited as a guest scholar in law firms in Korea such as Kim & Chang and Shin & Kim (Sejong).
Since Professor Kang started teaching at the Peking University, School of Transnational Law in 2011, he has received twice the “Excellent Teaching Award” from Peking University (the best teaching prize awarded to one professor at the Peking University, School of Transnational Law). In addition, in 2017, based on his research and article on the independent director system in China, Professor Kang won Tsinghua China Law Review Award for Excellence in Research from Tsinghua University (清华大学). Professor Kang is a lawyer. Before studying law, he worked as an analyst and a fund manager in the capital market. Professor Kang is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charter-holder. Also, he is an FRM (Financial Risk Manager) charter-holder. In addition, Professor Kang is an arbitrator in the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) and was invited to join the SCIA Hong Kong Panel of Arbitrators. He is also an editor of the Journal of Korean Law published by Seoul National University Law School (서울대학교 법학전문대학원).
Professor Kang publishes numerous articles in academic journals such as the Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, the Berkeley Business Law Journal, the Virginia Law & Business Review, the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, Tsinghua China Law Review, etc. Also, with world-leading scholars, Professor Kang is a coauthor of “Law and Finance of Related Party Transactions” (Cambridge University Press), “Comparative Corporate Governance” (Edward Elgar), and “Global Shareholder Stewardship” (Cambridge University Press). Professor Kang likes to read and study Chinese history. Often, he attempts to find corporate governance implications from Chinese history. Also, Professor Kang sometimes “claims” that he majored in Chinese history (which is not true). In addition, he likes to discuss Chinese legal systems and economic policies. Professor Kang learned Chinese calligraphy when he was a kid. As a hobby, Professor Kang likes to play piano as well. Indeed, he performed piano in several events at STL and other places (like Peking University PHBS Business School). Professor Kang likes music and fine arts. Moreover, he loves to talk with STL students and study together with them at the STL library and self-study classrooms.
Academic Position (Peking University, School of Transnational Law)
Professor of Law (Full Professorship with Tenure): 2017 ~ Present
Associate Professor: 2014 ~ 2017
Assistant Professor: 2011 ~ 2014
Research and Teaching Experience at Other Academic Institutions
Seoul National University (서울대학교), Visiting Researcher, Asia Pacific Law Institute (Summer 2021)
University of Tokyo (东京大学), Law School: Invited to teach corporate governance (August 2019)
Stanford University (Law School): Researched corporate governance for the joint projects with a faculty member at Stanford Law School (May 2019)
Harvard University (Law School): Researched corporate governance (invited by the Program on Corporate Governance) (January ~ February 2017)
Columbia University (Law School): Visiting Fellow (Program in the Law and Economics of Capital Markets) (Summer 2016; April 2015)
Columbia University (Law School): Visiting Research Fellow in Visiting Scholar Program (Summer 2011; 2007 ~ 2008)
Research Areas
Corporate Governance
Corporate Law (General Theory; US; Korea; China)
M&A
Capital Markets and Regulations; Financial Markets and Regulations
Banking Policies and Regulations
Startups and Venture Capitals
Corporate Groups
Institutional Investors; Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds
Shareholder Activism and Institutional Investors’ Stewardship
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
Digital Economy (e.g., Metaverse, Cryptocurrencies, Central Bank Digital Currencies); Platform Business; Fintech
Executive Compensation
Chinese Economic Policies; Chinese Corporate Governance; East Asian Economies and Legal Systems
Law and Economics; Law and Finance; Political Economy
Professional Qualification, Memberships, etc.
Research Member, ECGI (European Corporate Governance Institute)
Lawyer (New York State)
CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
FRM (Financial Risk Manager)
Arbitrator, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA); Panelist, SCIA Hong Kong Panel of Arbitration
Editor, the Journal of Korean Law (Seoul National University)
