New book honors Public International Law Professor Wrange
How are power and influence structured in today’s international legal order? A new open access anthology, published in honor of Professor Pål Wrange at Stockholm University, gathers leading scholars and practitioners from around the world to tackle some of the most urgent issues in public international law.
The book Reconstructing Power and Hegemony in Public International Law, featuring contributions from 33 international scholars, is published in honor of Professor Pål Wrange. Photo: Sören Andersson (cover: Springer).
Reconstructing Power and Hegemony in Public International Law is a Liber Amicorum – a Festschrift dedicated to a scholar whose work has had a significant impact in the field. In this case, it honors Professor Pål Wrange, a leading expert in public international law at Stockholm University.
The book is edited by Mark Klamberg, Katinka Svanberg, and Love Rönnelid, all based at Stockholm University’s Faculty of Law, and published by T.M.C. Asser Press. It features contributions from leading academics and international experts in diplomacy and law, including Hans Corell, former Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs at the UN, ICJ Judge Phoebe Okowa, and the renowned international law scholar Martti Koskenniemi.
Timely Issues in a Changing World
The anthology takes a critical perspective on international law at a time when many global institutions are being challenged and reshaped. It explores how power, identity, and historical perspectives influence the international legal order, and how international law functions in conflict and geopolitics. The book is organized into thematic sections covering topics such as law in war and conflict, the relationship between law and geopolitics, and how concepts like hegemony, imperialism, and colonialism continue to shape global governance.
The chapters address issues that are highly relevant to current international affairs, including:
- Sweden’s membership in NATO and its implications for foreign and security policy
- Self-determination and minority rights
- Neutrality and legal frameworks for international conflicts
- Climate change and rising sea levels
- Environmental destruction in armed conflicts
Through this breadth of perspectives, the book provides a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the international legal order in a complex geopolitical landscape.
Freely Available Online
The anthology is published open access and can be read for free online by scholars, students, and the general public. The printed edition is also available through various booksellers.
About Professor Wrange
Title: Professor of Public International Law, Stockholm University
Research Areas: Public international law, international legal order, neutrality, use of force, humanitarian law, transitional justice, cyberspace law
Background: Has worked both in academia and diplomacy, including eleven years as an international lawyer at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and representing Sweden in multilateral negotiations. Has also served as advisor in Uganda and for the EU.
International Engagement: Held visiting positions at Harvard Law School, European University Institute, and University of Melbourne. Participates in various international advisory bodies and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Significance: A leading voice in Swedish public international law. Has published extensively across multiple areas of international law, bridging academic theory and practical application. In the 1990s, he was among the first scholars to introduce critical perspectives on international law into Swedish legal scholarship.
Last updated: 2026-03-11
Source: Department of Law