Dr Bob Zhao


Dr Bob Zhao
NameDr Bob Zhao
Email Addressbob.zhao@unisq.edu.au
Job TitleSenior Lecturer (Law)
QualificationsLLB Zhongnan, LLM Wuhan, PhD Western Sydney
DepartmentSchool of Law and Justice
ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8041-5692
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Biography

Dr Xiaobo (Bob) Zhao is currently a senior lecturer in Law at the School of Law and Justice, University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). He is teaching across a range of courses including Australian Tort Law, Media Law and Environmental Law related courses.His student-centred pedagogy aims to scaffold first year law students to cultivate early independence in their study of law. At UniSQ, Dr Zhao has developed 5 innovative elective courses for undergraduates (LLBs) and postgraduates (JDs) since 2016, including LAW8713 Sustainable Environmental Governance, LAW8714 Water Resources Law, LAW8752 Sustainable Development Law Project, LAW3477 Chinese Law and Society and LAW3484 Media Law.

Dr Zhao is a leading expert in environmental law with a national and international recognition, his research interest focuses on climate change litigation, frontier issues of Chinese environmental law, contaminated land law and Australian tort law. Dr Zhao has published intensively in the above areas. Dr Zhao is the author or co-author of the following law books:

(1) Contemporary Australian Tort Law (with Kyriakakis Joanna; Popa Tina et al, by Cambridge University Press, 1st edition 2019; 2nd edition 2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009348782 (2nd ed), ISBN: 9781108626255;

(2) Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China (with Prof Xi Wang & Prof Noeleen McNamara (ed.), by Springer, 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26526-6), ISBN: 978-3-031-26525-9;

(3) Foreign Environmental Law (with Prof Shuyi Wang et al, China Social Sciences Press, 2023, ISBN: 978-7-5227-2220-7;

(4) Developing an Appropriate Contaminated Land Regime in China: Lessons Learned from the US and UK (1st edition, 2013; 2nd edition, 2019, by Springer); DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-59557-2 (2nd edition);

(5) On contaminated land legislation in Japan (《日本土壤污染防治立法研究》, Law Press China, 2018, ISBN: 7519719510;

(6) The Trans-Pacific Partnership: a quest for a twenty-first century trade agreement (English - Chinese translation, Lim, C. L., Elms, Deborah K. and Low, Patrick (ed.), Cambridge University Press, with Dr Lingling He, Law Press China, 2016. ISBN: 9787511892928.

Dr Zhao’s monograph ‘Developing an Appropriate Contaminated Land Regime in China: Lessons Learned from the US and UK’ is held by 378 libraries worldwide, including Harvard Law School Library, Yale University, MIT, Imperial College London (WorldCat). It is also the recommended reading (monograph) for global contaminated land law in the Oxford Handbook of Comparative Environmental Law (Lees et al, Oxford University Press, 2019). His journal article ‘Analysis on the Exception Clauses of CERCLA with Referential Experience for China’s Legislation’ ranked as the top 5 most-cited law papers of the CSSCI social science journal Humanities & Social Sciences Journal of Hainan University (IF 1.46) since 1983.

Dr Zhao’s research has attracted competitive funding from various organisations, including the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Chinese Law Society, the Chinese Ministry of Education, the Shanghai Government, and the Chinese Ministry of Justice. At UniSQ, he served as the chief investigator for the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Joint Action Program 2023: 'A Comparative Study of Legal Pathways to Secure the Target of Net Zero Carbon Emissions in China and Australia.' Dr Zhao is the co-applicant and co-investigator (with Professor Wenping Ye), for the Chinese National Social Science Fund Project in 2023: ‘Research on the Allocation of Environmental Judicial Power from the Perspective of Environmental Governance Modernization’, Project Number 23BFX096, where he leads the sub-project on environmental litigation. He was the co-investigator for the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Foundation Program ‘Research on Legal Issues of Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in China After 2012’, with Professor Xiaoyi Jiang et al, Project No.11YJC820045, certification No. 2016JXZ0371. Dr Zhao has also led several competitive research programs in his previous appointment at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SHUFE), including the Pujiang Scholar research grant 2013 (Project No. 13PJC058); the Chinese Law Society Fund project 2013: Towards Sustainable Ecological Remediation, Project No. CLS CD217; and the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) Program 2013-2014, Comparative Study of Contaminated Land Legislation, Project No. 2013 [1792].

Dr Zhao has served as a Steering Committee member for the international legal symposium 'Environment and Human Rights: Legal Paradigms Symposium', hosted by the School of Law and Justice UniSQ in 2022. He has been invited to present at esteemed domestic and international conferences, such as the Shanghai Judicial Forum on Frontier Issues 2022 & The Sixth Chongming World-Class Ecological Island Judicial Symposium in 2022, the Environmental Law Study Forum of Shanghai University of Political Science and Law (keynote speaker) in 2019, and the 13th Asian Law Institute (ASLI) Conference in 2016.

Dr Zhao has been an active contributor to national and international environmental organisations. He has been the academic committee member of the Academy of Environmental Law of IUCN and the Chinese Society for Environmental Science since 2012. He is the senior research fellow of the Research Institute of Environmental Law (RIEL) WHU and the ESG Policy and Law Research Center SHUFE. Dr Zhao is dedicated to fostering the next generation of researchers in his field. He is the principal supervisors and associate supervisors for PhD students, Master in Laws (LLMs) and Juris Doctors (JDs), with more than 15 successful completion over the past decade. He also chaired the panel of Confirmation of Candidature (CoC) for PhD candidate at UniSQ. Dr Zhao is a regular reviewer for prestigious law publishers, including Cambridge, Springer, Wiley, MDPI and Brill, to review book proposals and journal articles.

Employment

PositionOrganisationFromTo
Senior lecturer in LawUniSQ20202024
Lecturer in LawUniSQ20142020
Lecturer in LawUniSQ20122014

Expertise

Comparative Environmental Law, Tort Law, Climate Change Litigation, Comparative Environmental Law, Chinese Environmental Law, Contaminated Land Law

Teaching

LAW1126 Torts

LAW5126 Advanced Torts

LAW3484 Media Law

LAW6484 Advanced Media Law

LAW8717 International Environmental Law

LAW8713, Sustainable Environmtal Governance

LAW8752, Sustainable Development Law Project

Fields of Research

  • 480799. Public law not elsewhere classified
  • 489999. Other law and legal studies not elsewhere classified

Professional Membership

Professional MembershipYear
Chinese Society for Environmental Science
Senior Research Fellow of Research Institute of Environmental Law (RIEL), WHU
Senior Research Fellow of ESG Policy and Law Research Center, SHUFE
IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Soil and Sustainable Agriculture Law Network
LLB
Zhongnan
2004
LLM
Wuhan
2008
PhD
Western Sydney
2012

Current Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCommenced
Investigating and addressing regulatory barriers impacting the development of electricity generation from landfill Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) for community microgrids in regional and rural Australia.Principal SupervisorDoctoral2023

Completed Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCompleted
Embedding circular principles into plastic packaging regulation in Australia: Challenges and solutionsAssociate SupervisorMasters2021
Climate justice and its impacts on BangladeshAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2019
Project titleDetailsYear
ASSA-CASS Joint Action Program 2023‘A Comparative Study of Legal Pathways to Secure the Target of Net Zero Carbon Emissions in China and Australia’, $AUD 7,0002023
2023 Chinese National Social Science Fund Project‘Research on the Allocation of Environmental Judicial Power from the Perspective of Environmental Governance Modernization’ (with Professor Wenping Ye et al), Project Number 23BFX096. $AUD 43,4002023
Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) Program 2013-2014Comparative Study of Contaminated Land Legislation, Project No. 2013 [1792], AUD $4,000. 2013
Shanghai Pujiang Talent Programresearch awards for A Comparative Study on Contaminated Land Legislation, No. 13PJC058, $AUD 18,500 2013
Chinese MOE Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Foundation Program (2013-2016)‘Research on Legal Issues of Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in China After 2012’,, with Professor Xiaoyi Jiang, et al, Project No. 11YJC820045, certification No. 2016JXZ0371. AU$ 15,000 2013
Chinese Law Society Fund projectTowards Sustainable Ecological Remediation, Project No. CLS CD217 $14,800 2013
DateNameAwarding organisationUnderpinning research
2013Shanghai Pujiang Scholar Shanghai City
2022Research Showcase with Former High Court Judge Justice KirbyUniSQComparative Study of Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL) in Australia and China
2023ASSA-CASS Joint Action Program 2023ASSA-CASSLegal pathways to the reach of net zero carbon emission target in Australia
Item reviewedYear
Transnational Environmental Law 2022
Marine Policy 2024

It’s on like Donkey Kong: How evolving defamation laws put online creators and influencers at risk

Zhao, Bob. 2024. "It’s on like Donkey Kong: How evolving defamation laws put online creators and influencers at risk." UniSQ Newsroom.

Contemporary Australian Tort Law

Kyriakakis, Joanna, Popa, Tina, Rochford, Francine, Szablewska, Natalia, Zhao, Xiaobo, Taliadoros, Jason, O'Donovan, Darren and Bautista, Lowell. 2024. Contemporary Australian Tort Law . Australia . Cambridge University Press.

Foreign Environmental Law

Zhao, Xiaobo, Wang, Binhu, Wu, Chunxiao, Zhang, Yang, Gill, Gitanjali Nain, Pozzo, Barbara, Liu, Mingquan, Han, Chengxun, Li, Xuanyu, Xu, Jianyu, Benassi, Mohammed, Hajba, Mahagoub, Liu, Jing, Liu, Haiou, Wang, Shuyi, Zhang, Xiaohu, Fogelman, Valerie, Qiu, Qiu and Tu, Gang. 2023. Foreign Environmental Law. China. China Social Sciences Press.

Comments on All-China Environment Federation v Scenic Spot Management Council of Wuxi City

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2023. "Comments on All-China Environment Federation v Scenic Spot Management Council of Wuxi City ." Wang, Xi (ed.) Selection of One hundred environmental cases. China. Higher Education Press / Gaodeng Jiaoyu Chubanshe. pp. 419-426

The Standing to Sue of NGOs in Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: A Doctrinal Analysis of Laws and Cases

Gao, Qi, Ke, Quan and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2023. "The Standing to Sue of NGOs in Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: A Doctrinal Analysis of Laws and Cases." Wang, Xi, Zhao, Xiaobo and McNamara, Noeleen (ed.) Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China. Switzerland. Springer. pp. 83-110

Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: An Overview

Zhao, Xiaobo and McNamara, Noeleen. 2023. "Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: An Overview." Wang, Xi, Zhao, Xiaobo and McNamara, Noeleen (ed.) Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China . Switzerland. Springer. pp. 3-19

Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China

Wang, Xi, Zhao, Xiaobo and McNamara, Noeleen (ed.) 2023. Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China . Germany. Springer.

Rights-Based Climate Litigation in Australia: New Frontiers

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2022. "Rights-Based Climate Litigation in Australia: New Frontiers." Shanghai Judicial Forum on Frontier Issues 2022 & The Sixth Chongming World-Сlass Ecological Island Judicial Symposium. China 15 - 15 Nov 2022 Australia.

Rights-Based Climate Litigation in Australia: A Critical Review

Zhao, Bob. 2022. "Rights-Based Climate Litigation in Australia: A Critical Review." Environment and Human Rights: Legal Paradigms Symposium. Toowoomba, Australia 18 - 18 Feb 2022 Australia.

Comparative Study of Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL) in Australia and China

Zhao, Bob. 2022. "Comparative Study of Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL) in Australia and China ." Research Showcase with Former High Court Judge Justice Kirby. Ipswich, QniSQ, Australia 01 - 01 Apr 2022 Australia.

Environmental Law in Qld: An Introduction

Zhao, Xiaobo (Bob). 2021. "Environmental Law in Qld: An Introduction ." Comparative Enrivonmental Law Forum at the Shanghai Normal University. Shanghai, China 18 - 18 Oct 2021 Australia.

Contemporary Australian Tort Law

Kyriakakis, Joanna, Popa, Tina, Rochford, Francine, Szablewska, Natalia, Zhao, Xiaobo, Taliadoros, Jason, O'Donovan, Darren and Bautista, Lowell. 2020. Contemporary Australian Tort Law. Cambridge, United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press.

Developing an appropriate contaminated land regime in China: lessons learned from the US and UK

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2019. Developing an appropriate contaminated land regime in China: lessons learned from the US and UK. Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany. Springer.

On contaminated land legislation in Japan

Zhao, Xiaobo (Bob). 2018. On contaminated land legislation in Japan . China. Law Press China.

Soil degradation through agriculture in China: its extent, impacts and implications for environmental law reform

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2018. "Soil degradation through agriculture in China: its extent, impacts and implications for environmental law reform." Ginzky, Harald, Dooley, Elizabeth, Heuser, Irene L., Kasimbazi, Emmanuel, Markus, Till and Qin, Tianbao (ed.) International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy 2017. Cham, Switzerland. Springer. pp. 37-63

Land contamination legislation in China: the emerging challenges

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2017. "Land contamination legislation in China: the emerging challenges." Hideki, Kitagawa (ed.) Environmental policy and governance in China. Japan. Springer. pp. 47-67

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: a quest for a twenty-first century trade agreement (English-Chinese translation)

Zhao, Xiaobo and He, Ling Ling. Lim, C. L., Elms, Deborah K. and Low, Patrick (ed.) 2016. The Trans-Pacific Partnership: a quest for a twenty-first century trade agreement (English-Chinese translation). China. Cambridge University Press.

Environmental liability

Zhao, Xiaobo and Zhang, Jianwei. 2015. "Environmental liability." Qin, Tianbao (ed.) Research handbook on Chinese environmental law. United Kingdom. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 320

Legal regimes of radioactive waste treatment in Japan after Fukushima: an interpretive analysis based on Act on Special Measures Concerning the Handling of Radioactive Pollution’/日本灾后放射性废弃物处置法律制度研究:以《放射性物质污染应对特别措施法》为核心 (in Chinese)

Zhao, Xiaobo(Bob). 2015. "Legal regimes of radioactive waste treatment in Japan after Fukushima: an interpretive analysis based on Act on Special Measures Concerning the Handling of Radioactive Pollution’/日本灾后放射性废弃物处置法律制度研究:以《放射性物质污染应对特别措施法》为核心 (in Chinese)." Journal of Shanghai University of Political Science & Law. 30 (1), pp. 73-82.

Contaminated land law of China: a possible way to achieve food safety?

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2016. "Contaminated land law of China: a possible way to achieve food safety?" Kennedy, Amanda and Liljeblad, Jonathan (ed.) Food systems governance: challenges for justice, equality and human rights. Milton Park, United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 163-185

Confidential geodata protection in China: challenges, liability concerns and possible solutions

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2016. "Confidential geodata protection in China: challenges, liability concerns and possible solutions." Frontiers of Law in China. 11 (3), pp. 551-574. https://doi.org/10.3868/s050-005-016-0032-6

Adani Mining Pty Ltd v Land Services of Coast and Country Inc & Ors [2015] QLC 48

McNamara, Noeleen and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2016. "Adani Mining Pty Ltd v Land Services of Coast and Country Inc & Ors [2015] QLC 48." Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal. 35 (1), pp. 6-12.

Environmental dispute settlement in China

Zhao, Xiaobo and Zhang, Jianwei. 2015. "Environmental dispute settlement in China." Qin, Tianbao (ed.) Research handbook on Chinese environmental law. United Kingdom. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 342-367

Developing an appropriate contaminated land regime in China: lessons learned from the US and UK

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2013. Developing an appropriate contaminated land regime in China: lessons learned from the US and UK. Springer.

Review of regulatory frameworks for contaminated land in China

Zhao, Xiaobo and Zhang, Jianwei. 2013. "Review of regulatory frameworks for contaminated land in China." Frontiers of Law in China. 8 (1), pp. 69-102. https://doi.org/10.3868/s050-002-013-0003-0

Developing a national contaminated land liability scheme in China: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act revisited

Jeffery, Michael I. and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2012. "Developing a national contaminated land liability scheme in China: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act revisited." Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law. 30 (4), pp. 423-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646811.2012.11435305

Contaminated land legislation in China: status quo and challenges

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2011. "Contaminated land legislation in China: status quo and challenges." Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism. 2 (2), pp. 268-275.

Review to typical local contaminated land legislation of Japan

Zhao, Xiaobo and Qin, Tianbao. 2011. "Review to typical local contaminated land legislation of Japan." Journal of Henan Administrative Institute of Politics and Law. 26 (3), pp. 111-115. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.2095-3275.2011.02.019

On the 'Zustandsverantwortlichkeit'under the Federal Soil Protection Act (Bodenschutzgesetz, Bbodschg) of Germany and its referential experience for the contaminated land legislation of China

Zhao, Xiaobo and Qin, Tianbao. 2011. "On the 'Zustandsverantwortlichkeit'under the Federal Soil Protection Act (Bodenschutzgesetz, Bbodschg) of Germany and its referential experience for the contaminated land legislation of China." Johrbuch des Deutsch-Chineseischen Instituts für Rechtswissenschaft der Universitafen Gottingen und Nanjing. 8, pp. 266-274.

Frontier issues of overseas Environmental Law

Qin, Tianbao and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2010. "Frontier issues of overseas Environmental Law." Annual report of overseas humanities and social sciences, 2009. Hubei, China. Wuhan University Press. pp. 430-464

Soil contamination legislation in Belgium: case study to the Flemish region (English-Chinese translation)

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2008. "Soil contamination legislation in Belgium: case study to the Flemish region (English-Chinese translation)." China Environment and Resource Law Review. 2007, pp. 189-195.

Study on latest developments of Environmental Law in EU and US (2007)

Qin, Tianbao and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2008. "Study on latest developments of Environmental Law in EU and US (2007)." Annual report of overseas humanities and social sciences, 2008. Wuhan University Press. pp. 406-452

Analysis on the exception clauses of CERCLA: with referential experience for China's legislation

Zhao, Xiaobo and Lin, Yougang. 2007. "Analysis on the exception clauses of CERCLA: with referential experience for China's legislation." Humanities & Social Sciences Journal of Hainan University. 25 (4), pp. 393-398.

Legislation on soil remediation in Belgium (Flemish Region)

Lavrysen, L. and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2007. "Legislation on soil remediation in Belgium (Flemish Region)." Conference in 2007 of China Law Society Association of Environment and Resources Law. Lanzou City, China 12 - 15 Aug 2007 Conference in 2007 of China Law Society Association of Environment and Resources Law.

On Japan's Investigation System for Soil Contamination

Zhao, Xiaobo. 2007. "On Japan's Investigation System for Soil Contamination." Conference in 2007 of China Law Society Association of Environment and Resources Law. Lanzou City, China 12 - 15 Aug 2007 Conference in 2007 of China Law Society Association of Environment and Resources Law.

Study on latest issues of Environmental Law in Europe and America

Qin, Tianbao and Zhao, Xiaobo. 2007. "Study on latest issues of Environmental Law in Europe and America." Annual report of overseas humanities and social sciences, 2007. Wuhan University Press. pp. 422-482