In order to accurately align with the national strategy for cultivating foreign-related legal professionals and to help students clarify their career development paths, the College held a themed lecture and recruitment session entitled ‘Foreign-related Legal Practice and Career Development for Lawyers in the New Era’ on Haidian Campus on the afternoon of 25 Nov.
Director of the Shanghai Representative Office of Rajah & Tann Singapore Ms. Qiao Lina, Managing Director (Asia-Pacific) of the Shanghai Representative Office of Greenberg Traurig Mr. Wu Jian and Senior Adviser for Greater China at Clifford Chance’s Beijing Representative Office Ms. Jiang Dayan were invited to deliver keynote speeches and share their cutting-edge experience in foreign-related legal practice.
The event was chaired by Chair of the College Council Gu Yongqiang and attended by more than 80 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the College, the School of International Law and other faculties.
The event received strong support from relevant university departments. Director of the Student Affairs Office Ms. Sun Lu, Director of the Alumni Office Ms. Li Huan and Deputy Director of the Student Affairs Office & Director of the Career Guidance Centre Mr. An Shuo met with the three alumni speakers prior to the lecture and extended heartfelt thanks for their efforts in supporting CUPL’s foreign-related legal education.
In his opening remarks, Gu Yongqiang noted that in the context of deepening globalisation of the rule of law, the cultivation of high-calibre foreign-related legal talent is a key priority of the university. He emphasised that foreign-related legal professionals who are “proficient in international rules and equipped with a global outlook” require the joint efforts of all sectors of society. The three guests then offered in-depth presentations drawing on their extensive professional experience.
Qiao Lina began with her personal academic and career journey, providing students with a detailed overview of Rajah & Tann’s practice strengths and talent profile. She highlighted the core competencies required of foreign-related lawyers engaged in cross-border investment, mergers and acquisitions and international arbitration, and advised aspiring students to continue developing themselves in four dimensions: legal knowledge, language proficiency, emotional intelligence and physical wellbeing, while maintaining keen sensitivity to commercial cultures across jurisdictions.
Wu Jian introduced the business structure and commercial logic of Greenberg Traurig, and encouraged students to cultivate commercial awareness at an early stage by closely following market trends and developments in cutting-edge sectors. He stressed that competition in the legal profession extends beyond technical ability: students should identify and amplify their distinctive strengths. Continuous incremental improvement, he noted, will eventually lead to qualitative breakthroughs.
Jiang Dayan, speaking from the perspective of a global top-tier law firm, outlined the broad career prospects open to foreign-related legal practitioners. She introduced the structured training programmes offered by Clifford Chance for young lawyers and emphasised that in core practice areas such as capital markets, sustained learning, strong emotional intelligence and the ability to develop commercial thinking are essential to long-term career development.
Following the presentations, the event moved into a Q&A session. Students actively raised questions on topical issues, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere. In his closing remarks, Gu stressed that this lecture marks not an end but a beginning. He urged students to translate the valuable insights shared into concrete action: first, to consolidate their professional foundations; second, to broaden their global perspectives; and third, to align their career planning with the strategic needs of China’s foreign-related rule of law development.
Looking ahead, the College will continue to deepen the ‘university–enterprise–institution’ collaborative training mechanism and contribute diversified resources to the cultivation of foreign-related legal professionals.
