Christian Plascencia Gonzalez

Profile

I am a PhD researcher at the School of Law, University of Leeds, specialising in International Economic Law, with a particular focus on trade in goods and economic security. I hold an LLB from the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and an MA in International Law, Ethics and Politics from the University of Birmingham, UK.

My academic experience includes working as a Teaching Assistant at the University Centre for Economic and Administrative Sciences (CUCEA), University of Guadalajara, and as a Research Assistant to Dr Szilárd Gáspár-Szilágyi at the University of Birmingham.

I have participated in national and international academic conferences, including the

• CRES Conference (2018),
• the University of Leeds School of Law PGR Conference (2026),
• the University of Leicester Law Postgraduate Research Conference (2026),
• the XXI Annual Conference of the European Society of International Law (ESIL 2026), and
• the London Conference on International Law (2026).

These events have provided valuable opportunities to engage with scholars and practitioners and exchange ideas on contemporary challenges in international law.

I currently serve as a Teaching Assistant for the EU Law module at the University of Leeds and as Managing Editor of the Leeds Student Law and Criminal Justice Review. These roles have further strengthened my academic writing, organisational, communication, and collaborative skills. Alongside my academic commitments, I remain strongly committed to advancing fair and sustainable global trade policies.

Research interests

My doctoral research focuses on international trade law, particularly in economic security and national security, with a particular emphasis on the interpretation and evolution of the WTO security exception. I am especially interested in how current geopolitical concerns surrounding economic security are reshaping the scope of essential security interests and influencing state practice within the multilateral trading system.

My work adopts a comparative and doctrinal approach, analysing the policies and legal frameworks of major trading powers, including the US, and the EU. Through this lens, I examine how states increasingly incorporate economic security concerns into their regulatory frameworks and the implications this has for compliance with WTO obligations.

I thrive on research, collaboration, and continuous learning, always seeking to broaden my understanding of global trade dynamics.

Interested in contributing and learning about:

• WTO law
• International Trade Law
• International Investment Law
• EU Law

Qualifications

• MA. International Ethics and Politics. University of Birmingham
• LLB. University of Guadalajara

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Business Law and Practice