William P. Alford is a scholar of Chinese law and legal history at Harvard University.
Alford is the founding Chair of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability which provides pro bono services on issues of disability in China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam and several other nations. He is Lead Director and Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics International (which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities in more than 170 jurisdictions around the world). In 2008, Special Olympics honored him for his work for persons with intellectual disabilities in China. Alford is also the Senior Advisor for Graduate and International Legal Studies at HLS.
Alford was awarded an honorary doctorate in law by the University of Geneva in 2010 and has been an honorary professor or fellow at Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, the National College of Administration, and the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Science. Among other honors are the inaugural O’Melveny & Myers Centennial Award, the Kluwer China Prize, the Qatar Pearls of Praise Award, an Abe (Japan) Fellowship, and the Harvard Law School Alumni Association Award. In 2008, he was a finalist for Harvard Law School’s Sacks-Freund Teaching Award.
Alford has delivered endowed lectureships at leading universities around the world and serves on university advisory boards and the editorial boards of learned journals in several jurisdictions. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee on US-China relations, Alford has been a dispute resolution panelist under the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement. He has served as a consultant or advisor to multilateral organizations, various offices of the United States government, members of Congress, foreign governments, foundations, companies and not-for-profit organizations.
Special Olympics Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion
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Dr. Timothy Shriver
Chairman, Special Olympics International -
Didier Drogba
Global Ambassador, Special Olympics International -
Nyasha Derera
Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger and Chair of the Global Athlete Congress, Special Olympics International -
Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece -
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director General, World Health Organization -
Her Excellency Pastor Dorcas Rigathi
Second Lady, Republic of Kenya -
The Honorable Clifton Grima
Minister of Education, Republic of Malta -
Madam Sujing Zhao
Vice President, China Disabled Persons’ Federation, People’s Republic of China -
William Alford
Law Professor, Harvard University -
The Honorable Olivia Grange
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Jamaica -
His Excellency Sarkhad Zulpkhar
Deputy Minister, Labour and Social Protection, Mongolia -
The Honorable Samantha Sacramento
Minister of Equality, Government of Gibraltar -
Douglas X. Alexander
Chairperson, Lions Club International Foundation -
Ásmundur Einar Daoason
Minister of Education and Children, Iceland -
Ian McFarlane
Director, Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) -
The Honorable Helena Dalli
European Commissioner for Equality -
The Honorable Miomir Vojinovic
Minister of Education, Montenegro -
Gillian Triggs
Assistant High Commissioner, United Nations Refugee Agency -
Dr. Eric Nkansah
Director General, Ghana Education Service (GES) -
Ambassador Ahmed Alattar
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Federal Republic of Germany -
His Excellency Dr. Ashraf Sobhy
Minister of Youth and Sports, the Arab Republic of Egypt