Julia Emtseva is Assistant Professor of Law at HEC Paris. Her research examines the growing role of private actors in international law, transitional justice and global governance.
Working at the intersection of law, geopolitics and business, she studies what happens when companies, foundations, consultancies or investors take on roles traditionally associated with states: humanitarian aid, reconstruction, peace negotiations and post-conflict justice. Her work sheds light on how the privatization of public functions reshapes power, legal responsibility and the ethical choices facing decision-makers.
At HEC Paris, Julia Emtseva teaches EU Governance, Law and Social Change, and Company Law. She was previously a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute and a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. She holds a PhD in Law from Freie Universität Berlin.
Her academic work has appeared in journals including AJIL Unbound, German Law Journal and the Michigan Journal of International Law. She also contributes to leading legal platforms such as EJIL:Talk!, Verfassungsblog, Völkerrechtsblog and Opinio Juris.
In her recent work, she explores the “corporatization” of peace and the risks raised when private-sector actors enter diplomacy, reconstruction and conflict governance.
Geopolitics & Public Affairs