Professor Urfan Khaliq was conferred to the Fellowship of the Academy in autumn 2024. He is Professor of International Laws and Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cardiff University. His research weaves together several distinct areas of law and examines the interfaces between them, and how they relate to individual liberties and human rights.
Professor Urfan KhaliqFAcSS
Urfan’s co-authored book, Jurisdictional Exceptionalisms: Islamic Law, International Law and Parental Child Abduction was the outcome of working for 10 years with, at times, over 20 governments and several global international organisations in seeking to find a global legal solution to the problem of parental child abductions.
Urfan served as a full member of the REF 2021 Law sub-panel and was elected a member of the Learned Society of Wales in 2016 and has served on its Social Science scrutiny committee since 2020. Urfan currently serves on the editorial board of International and Comparative Law Quarterly.
Why do the social sciences matter?
That is a big question and could be answered in numerous ways. Fundamentally, for me, they are about understanding societies in all their diverse and wonderful varieties. Medical advances, for example, are great but until you understand societies and their needs, how do you make the most of those. The social sciences make sense of the world around us – and the wellbeing of all.
What inspires you about your work?
We all set out to make a difference in our work. We are in many senses simply custodians. We inherit a state of things, and it is our job to ensure we have a baton to hand on to those who come after us. Doing what you can to make that difference is what motivates me.
What is the most urgent issue social scientists need to tackle today and within the next three years?
I think there are a few and the answer might differ depending on where we are positioned on the globe. In the developed ‘global north’, aging societies are a huge problem whereas there are far more young populations elsewhere. Migration is, in part, a consequence of that demographic pattern but migration raises other issues – particularly politically in most societies.
Relatedly again, is the impact of man-made climate change on how we live and thrive. Access to fresh water and fair distribution of resources, for example. So, the problems I see facing society are often interconnected and there are many of them.
What does being a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences mean to you?
I trained as a lawyer, specialising in international law, and individual rights. Much of that was doctrinal but what became apparent over time was how much studying states was not just about rules but about society and people. And thus, how important the social sciences are to understanding the context and reality of societal challenges. Becoming a Fellow is such an enormous privilege and honour as it is reaffirms the value of differing approaches to the study of law and how it interacts with societies.