Mark Sidel

Mark Sidel "is Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and a research scholar at the University's Obermann Center for Advanced Studies. His research focuses on law, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, and on comparative law in Asia with a focus on Vietnam, China, and India and South Asia. Professor Sidel teaches philanthropy and nonprofit institutions, contracts, and comparative and international law. In the 2005-06 academic year Professor Sidel served as Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.  Sidel has also been named a University of Iowa Faculty Scholar beginning in fall 2006...

"Since 2000 Sidel has served as academic director of a five nation research and policy project on Philanthropy and Law in South Asia, funded by the Ford, Asia, Himalaya, Myer and Rockefeller foundations and convened by the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium. A volume from the research study, Philanthropy and Law in South Asia, was published in fall 2004.

"Before assuming his current position, Professor Sidel managed the regional program on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector for the Ford Foundation in South Asia (New Delhi, 1999-2000). He earlier managed the Ford Foundation's programs in Vietnam (Hanoi and Bangkok, 1992-1995), served on the Ford Foundation team that established the Foundation's office in China, and as the Foundation's first program officer for law and legal reform based in China (Beijing, 1988-1991). Sidel has also served on the Ford Foundation's Endowment Working Group and as one of the drafters of the Foundation's endowment handbook.

"Professor Sidel has also served as a consultant on legal reform, philanthropy, the nonprofit sector and related areas for the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Asia Foundation, Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium, Asian Development Bank, Center for Educational Exchange with Vietnam, Economics Institute (Boulder), Ford Foundation, Luce Foundation, McKnight Foundation, National Foreign Affairs Training Center/Foreign Service Institute (Washington), Oxfam International, Oxfam America, Oxfam Hong Kong, Aga Khan Foundation/Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division), U.S. State Department, Stanley Foundation, University of Iowa, Vietnamese Ministry of Justice, World Bank, and other institutions.

"Sidel's consultancy service with the Ford Foundation has included assignments with the Office of the President, the program offices for Governance and Civil Society, International Affairs, Asia, and Management Services, and the field offices for Vietnam and Thailand, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. He has also served as Vice President and Senior Program Consultant at the Stanley Foundation.

"Sidel has served as Chair of the University of Iowa Research Council and as a member of the board or advisory board of the University of Iowa Press, International Writing Program, Iowa Humanities Council, Books and Authors/Vietnam (Chapel Hill), and YMCA Camp Wapsie (Coggon, Iowa). He is a member of the Institute of Current World Affairs (Crane-Rogers Foundation) and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Sidel practiced law with Baker & McKenzie in New York, Beijing and Hong Kong (1985-1988) and is a member of the New York bar. He taught earlier at Lewis and Clark Law School." CV


 * President-elect, International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) (2007 – 2009; President, 2009 – 2011)
 * Advisory Committee (2005), Sabre Foundation
 * Advisory Council, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
 * Editorial Board, Voluntas