Saumya Raval

Under the doctoral supervision of Prof Dr Jelena Bäumler, Professor of Public and International Law specialising in sustainability, Saumya also works as her Research Assistant on the Go-Chains research cluster. In addition, he designed and taught a credited undergraduate course titled ‘Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Law, Business, Policy, and Human Rights’ during the winter semester of 2024/25 at Leuphana University Lüneburg.

Saumya holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Law (B.S.W. LL.B. (Hons.)) from Gujarat National Law University (India) and broadened his academic perspective through an exchange programme at Edith Cowan University (Australia). He subsequently earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Human Rights from Central European University in Vienna (Austria), where he was awarded a full scholarship as a Master’s Distinction Scholar.

Beyond academia, Saumya has gained diverse experience in public policy and business laws. As a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow, he contributed to key policy and legislative initiatives in the Parliament of India in New Delhi. Later, as an in-house lawyer for a major mining conglomerate, he specialised in litigation, due diligence, compliance, and corporate governance. Through his research, he aims to advocate for stronger regulatory frameworks that amplify the voices of rightsholders in informal economies, the backbone of contemporary GVCs, ensuring that business and human rights policies translate into meaningful protections for workers and affected communities.

His current work explores the European Omnibus Package’s regulatory changes and their implications for Europe’s sustainability goals, corporate governance and vulnerable workers. By analysing the dilution of corporate due diligence obligations, his research highlights the risks of excluding informal economies from regulatory frameworks and the need for inclusive, actionable policies that protect rightsholders from marginalisation.