Professor Werner Scholtz has been appointed to the role of Head of Southampton Law School taking up his post on Monday 1 February 2021.
Werner was Senior Professor of Law and Head of Department in the Department of Public Law and Jurisprudence at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa and the founder of the Global Environmental Law Centre of Excellence. Werner has also held several honorary positions in Higher Education Institutes.
Werner specialises in international environmental law. His current research focuses on the consequences of the increasing importance of animal welfare for international environmental law, in particular biodiversity law. Recent publications have been exploring the legal interplay between conservation and wildlife welfare; as well as sustainable use and environmental values, resulting in proposals for the normative reconfiguration of sustainable development in international biodiversity law and a shift to welfare-centred obligations.
Werner says: “I look forward to working with staff and students to deliver research and teaching excellence in a world-class environment that strives for equity and diversity. I am eager to facilitate continuity as well as pursuing an expansion of the research focus and curriculum of this School, in response to the myriad of global challenges and local needs to enhance the profile of Southampton Law School.”
Professor Jane Falkingham, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences says: “I am delighted to welcome Werner to the University of Southampton. He takes up the position as Head of Southampton Law School at a challenging but exciting time and is well positioned to take the School forward and to ensure it continues to play a pivotal role in the intellectual life of the University.”
