SchoolSchool ofof LawLaw NewsletterNewsletter School of Law (SLW), City University of Hong Kong Vol.4, No.1, May 2008 Inside Message from the Dean Advanced Legal Education n this age of globalisation, legal education worldwide is for Mainland Judges............ 2 undergoing significant changes and facing unprecedented Agreement with Oxford ........... 3 Ichallenges. Law schools can no longer operate in a Cooperation with UNCTAD ..... 3 traditional way as before and continuous improvements have to be made to cope with the global trend and meet the higher level Distinguished Experts Join of expectations. Against this background, our School of Law has IAB ...................................... 4 taken special measures to respond to these challenges and at the Video-link Seminar with same time to contribute to the development of legal education Yale Law School ................. 6 and training in Hong Kong as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. Eminent Speakers Lecture ..... 7 It gives me great pleasure to report in this Newsletter that our Asia Pacific Law Review School has made significant progress and achievements over the Enters SSCI ........................ 8 past few months. We have invited a number of world renowned Dean Lectures at United scholars from the Yale Law School and University of Oxford Professor Wang Guiguo Nations ................................ 9 and distinguished legal practitioners to join our School as Honourary or Adjunct Professors. Dean Visits the US ................ 10 Also we have concluded three landmark agreements with universities and institutions Focus Groups and Peer overseas and in the Mainland. Review .............................. 11 First, our School signed an agreement with the University of Oxford, as the second initiative School of Law Gears Up under the Global Legal Education and Awareness Project (G-LEAP). The agreement is for LLB in 2012.................. 12 similar to the one with the Monash University and enables our students to study a course for LLB Admission one month at the University of Oxford. The cooperation will provide valuable opportunities Scholarships ..................... 13 for our students to broaden their horizons and experience the Oxford system of education. Law Student Excels in Speech Contest ................ 13 Second, our School signed two exclusive agreements in Beijing with the Supreme People’s Court and the National Judges College for the provision of advanced legal training to PCLL Restructuring .............. 14 Chinese judges. This is the first time that the Supreme People’s Court and the National School of Law Retreat .......... 14 Judges College have collaborated with an academic institution outside the Mainland in Honourary and Adjunct relation to legal training for Chinese judges, in particular for senior judges. Our School Professors ......................... 15 is honoured to have the opportunity to take part in these meaningful projects and will Publications .......................... 15 endeavour to contribute to enhancing professionalism and internationalisation of the judicial system in China. Third, our School signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The MoU covers training and capacity building in the field of international dispute resolution for policy makers, investors, businessmen and legal service providers. It is the first agreement that UNCTAD has ever signed with a university in the Asia-Pacific region on dispute settlement. All these collaborations will not only expand the learning opportunities of our students, but will also enhance the reputation and international profile of our School. I am grateful to my colleagues and the University management for providing unrelenting support for these initiatives. Professor Wang Guiguo Dean & Professor (Chair) of Chinese and Comparative Law CityU School of Law Newsletter – Vol.4 No.1 May 2008 1 Advanced Legal Education for Mainland Judges Advanced Legal Education and Training for Mainland Judges The School of Law of CityU will thanked CityU for provide advanced legal education and providing training training to serving judges in mainland to mainland judges. China under an agreement signed “CityU is a renowned with the Supreme People’s Court and international tertiary the National Judges College on 29 institution and it is February at the PRC’s Supreme Court also an institution in Beijing. CityU will become the only recognised by judge training base outside mainland the Ministry of China assisting the National Judges Education,” said Mr College in the provision of advanced Wan. “The School of legal training for serving judges. Law at CityU excels with its strong team (Front row, from left to right) Professor Richard Ho & Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, Acting Mr Wan Exiang of outstanding academics President of CityU, said, “The and its comprehensive institutions in the United States and Supreme Court of the PRC is the top experience in providing training United Kingdom for one month. judicial institution. As a unit of the services. The LLM programme for Supreme Court, the National Judges mainland judges reflects the objective In addition, the School signed another College is responsible for the training of sharing education resources and agreement for “advanced legal training of judges and study of judicial cases. revamping the training programmes of for mainland senior judges”, with a In just ten years, it has grown from the Supreme Court of the PRC.” view to providing judiciary training. an amateur law school and judge The one-month course will be held training centre to a modern, organised This is the first time the Supreme three or four times a year, with 30 and professional law institution. It People’s Court and National Judges to 35 senior judges selected and is the alma mater of senior judges College have collaborated with an recommended by the National Judges with branch units in all 26 provinces, academic institution to provide training College participating in the course in cities and autonomous regions of the for mainland judges at the master’s Hong Kong. mainland.” degree level. In this collaboration, CityU’s School of Law will design Professor Wang Guiguo, Dean “Our School of Law of CityU’s School of Law, said, excels in its strong team “The training of mainland judges of outstanding academics, has now entered a more advanced state-of-the-art teaching and stage. Mainland judges also need to learning facilities and close understand overseas legal systems. ties with renowned overseas Judges who enrol in the programme institutions. Therefore, can study at CityU as well as renowned we will not only enhance overseas institutions, so they can the legal knowledge of compare the different viewpoints mainland judges but also and judicial procedures of overseas help them understand the countries. At the same time, our local viewpoints and practices of law students will benefit from studying international legal systems. (From right) Professor Wang Guiguo, Professor Richard Ho alongside the mainland judges.” & Mr Gu Minkang Mainland judges will have the opportunity to improve their level of professionalism to better a customised LLM programme for Source: CityU News Centre serve China’s civil and economic as many as 30 judges selected and development,” said Professor Ho. recommended by the College under the Mr Wan Exiang, Vice-President of the advice of the Supreme People’s Court. Supreme People’s Court, expressed CityU will also arrange for the students his delight with the collaboration and to enrol in courses at prestigious CityU School of Law Newsletter – Vol.4 No.1 May 2008 2 Agreement with Oxford / Cooperation with UNCTAD School of Law Signs an Agreement with Oxford CityU’s School of Law signed an important, CityU has been actively agreement with the University College, exploring various collaborative and Oxford, UK, under the Global Legal exchange programmes to widen Education and Awareness Project students’ global perspective and (G-LEAP) on 27 February to provide allow them to tackle challenges the law students an opportunity of worldwide,” said CityU Acting studying and living in a foreign President Professor Richard Ho (From left) Professor Adrian Zuckerman, jurisdiction. The agreement reflects Yan-ki. Professor Richard Ho & Professor Wang Guiguo the efforts of the School to provide Chair Professor Wang Guiguo, Dean globalised education through Oxford, joining the School’s G-LEAP. of the School of Law, said it was an cooperation with top institutions. “It is always a dream for students in honour to have the University College, Hong Kong and all over the world to Similar to the agreement with the gain a chance to study at the Oxford Monash University signed in October University,” he said. last year, this new agreement enables CityU law students to spend a month Professor Adrian Zuckerman, studying a course at the University University of Oxford, said the College, Oxford. The programme arrangement placed CityU students will commence in June 2009 and is in a privileged position. “Not only expected to involve 40 CityU law are CityU students fortunate enough students. The School is exploring to study in such a major city as Hong further collaborative opportunities with Kong, the gateway to China, but they other overseas universities. will now have the global edge with access to the University College, “With globalisation in tertiary (From left) Professor Adrian Zuckerman, Professor Richard Ho, Professor Paul Lam &