Althaf Marsoof
Nanyang Technological University
“Dr. Althaf Marsoof transformed teaching culture in our Division. He was the first colleague to join with formal pedagogical training (PGCAP) and as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Inspired by his example, I pursued Fellowship myself with his support; to this day we remain the only two Fellows in our Business School. He was also responsible for ensuring constructive alignment in the Introduction to Business Law course (AB1301), which enrolls over 1,000 undergraduates annually.
“Together we worked on the Raoul Wallenberg Institute-supported project ‘Shareholder Litigation in Response to the Climate Emergency and the Right to a Healthy Environment in the Asia-Pacific’ (2023), bringing corporate accountability and sustainability into regional debate.
“Althaf brings to NTU his experience as State Counsel at the Attorney-General’s Department of Sri Lanka, where he specialised in intellectual property and international trade. In Singapore, he contributes his scholarly expertise to policy making, including in consultations by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (cryptocurrency regulation) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (online harms legislation). Althaf’s many achievements demonstrate both leadership and impact well beyond the classroom.” – Alan K Koh, Assistant Professor
Althaf Marsoof, 41, is Associate Professor of Business Law at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He joined NTU in 2017 and also serves as a Fellow of the NTU Honours College. He teaches across undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive programs, offering courses in business law, intellectual property (IP), and sustainability.
Marsoof holds a BSc in Information Technology from Curtin University, an LLM from the University of Cambridge, and an MPhil from the University of Queensland. He completed his PhD at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, where his doctoral work – funded by the Dickson Poon PhD Scholarship – examined the liability of internet intermediaries for trademark infringement. That research formed the basis of his monograph Internet Intermediaries and Trade Mark Rights, published by Routledge in 2019.
His research focuses on IP, technology regulation, and the emerging intersections between IP and sustainability. He has published in leading journals including the International Journal of Law & Information Technology, the International Review of Intellectual Property & Competition Law (IIC), Intellectual Property Quarterly, and the European Intellectual Property Review. His scholarship has been cited by the Advocate-General of the European Union Court of Justice (Joined Cases C-148/21 and C-184/21, Christian Louboutin v Amazon Europe Core Sàrl, ECLI:EU:C:2022:422) and the Lithuanian Court of Appeal (Association LATGA v SC Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre, Case e2A-26-823/2019).
Marsoof is also an award-winning educator, recognized with the Nanyang Business School Teaching Excellence Award for Business Law (2024), the Renaissance Engineering Program (REP) Teacher of the Year Award (2021), and the John Cheung Endowment Social Media Award (2018) for innovative use of digital platforms in teaching.
He was also a nominee for the Nanyang Business School Teacher of the Year Award for Accountancy and Business (2024). He is committed to pedagogical innovation and leads a study funded by the NTU EdeX Teaching and Learning Grant examining how generative AI shapes critical thinking in business law education.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2017
Education: PhD, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London; MPhil, TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland; LLM in Commercial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge; BSc in Information Technology, Curtin University of Technology; Attorney-at-Law, Sri Lanka Law College (admitted to practice law in Sri Lanka)
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Business Law
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I discovered how much I enjoyed translating legal concepts for students who come from entirely different disciplines and backgrounds. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing business students embrace the challenge of understanding law and appreciating its relevance to the decisions they will one day make.
What are you currently researching, and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? In my current research, I am investigating how generative AI impacts critical thinking among business law students. The study is funded by a university teaching and learning grant, which has enabled a close examination of how students engage with AI throughout the learning process.
The most significant observation to emerge is this: when students use AI, their critical thinking unfolds across multiple stages of the human–AI interaction. It appears in how they frame questions, refine prompts, evaluate AI-generated answers, and decide what to accept or adjust. Because this process is distributed across different moments of interaction, we cannot determine a student’s level of critical thinking by looking only at the final product, unlike in the past when students’ work could be assessed solely through their written answers. This shift requires us to pay close attention to the process, not just the outcome, and it carries significant implications for assessment design, classroom activities, and the responsible adoption of AI in education.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … in active legal practice or in public service.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor?
I do my best to spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and engage students as active participants in the learning process. My students tell me that I am approachable, responsive, and committed to supporting their academic development.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Energized!
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: That making a genuine difference is important but so is working within a system that values what can be measured and seen. Finding your footing between those two worlds is part of becoming a professor.
Professor I most admire and why: There are many outstanding professors and educators out there doing exceptional work, and I have had the good fortune of being inspired by a few whose influence has stayed with me. Lionel Bently, who introduced me to trademark law at Cambridge (15 years ago!), opened my eyes to the emerging challenges of online platforms and infringement; his course fascinated me so much that I spent six years – through my MPhil and PhD – exploring those issues in depth. Tanya Aplin, my PhD supervisor at King’s College London, modelled what thoughtful, demanding, and supportive supervision can look like, and her example continues to shape how I mentor my own students. I also greatly admire Irene Calboli, whose dedication to building scholarly communities, including the IPIRA network, has created invaluable opportunities for academics and researchers to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas. Each of them has left a lasting mark on how I think about research, teaching, and what it means to contribute meaningfully to the academic community.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? What I enjoy most about teaching law to business students is their intellectual curiosity and drive to learn a new discipline. They ask thoughtful, probing questions and approach complex ideas with a degree of maturity and open-mindedness that makes teaching them genuinely rewarding.
What is most challenging? The most challenging part of teaching business law is guiding students through complex legal principles and doctrines in a manner that keeps them fully engaged. Teaching law with the depth it warrants – while still making it accessible and relevant to business school students – requires careful thought and constant adjustment. Striking that balance is demanding, but it is also one of the most meaningful aspects of the work.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Curious.
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Disengaged.
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … rigorous but fair.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I enjoy landscape photography, hiking, and swimming. These activities help me decompress and stay connected to nature.
How will you spend your summer? I’ll probably spend part of the summer travelling with my family, and the rest catching up on my research.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: I don’t really have a single favorite place – every destination has something unique to offer. But I’m drawn to places with striking natural landscapes – especially mountains, coastal trails, and waterfalls.
Favorite book(s): Crime novels are my favorite – there’s something about a well-crafted mystery that I find irresistible.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? My current favorite is The Lincoln Lawyer.
What I enjoy about it is the mix of sharp legal strategy, charisma, and moral tension. Growing up, courtroom dramas (Law & Order, Boston Legal, Better Call Saul, to name a few!) were a big part of why I was drawn to the law, and this film captures that world with an engaging blend of intellect and performance. I’ve always believed that teaching has an element of storytelling and stagecraft, and I often draw inspiration from great screen portrayals of lawyers who can command a room, keep people thinking, and make complex ideas come alive.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I tend to gravitate toward rock and alternative rock, and U2 has been a longtime favorite. Their music just speaks to me in a way that’s hard to articulate, but impossible to ignore.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … a culture that values thoughtful inquiry, where students learn to frame good questions, challenge assumptions, and engage actively with ideas. In an AI-dominated world, these habits matter more than ever.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … recognizing that long-term success comes from creating shared value – investing in people, strengthening communities, and building sustainable practices that benefit both the organization and society.
I’m grateful for … all the love and care I receive from my family and friends (especially my spouse and three wonderful kids), for the opportunities that have come my way, and for the guidance and mentorship generously offered by senior colleagues.
DON’T MISS THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF 2025’s 50 BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSORS.
© Copyright 2025 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.
