Vice President of the University Liu Yanhong attended the monthly meeting of the China-American Law Institute of the College on Haidian Campus, where she observed and guided the collective professional activities of the College’s grassroots teaching organisations on the afternoon of 21 Oct.
Dean Xie Zhiyong delivered a welcoming address, expressing gratitude for the University’s continued support for the College. Feng Kai, Director of the China-American Law Institute, introduced the Institute’s faculty and training achievements, and reported on the main agenda items of the meeting. Vice President Liu’s participation provided valuable direction for optimising the College’s international legal talent training programme and enhancing the efficiency of its grassroots teaching organisations.
The meeting consisted of four main agenda items: 1) The cultivation of master’s students in the Experimental Class for Internationalised Legal Professionals (Common Law Track). Feng Kai outlined the background and main objectives of the programme, while faculty member Sun Haibo elaborated on its specific modules and requirements. Wei Bingbing, a year 2025 entering master’s student and representative of the first cohort, shared her reflections and expectations regarding the programme and offered practical suggestions on course scheduling and implementation. The attending faculty engaged in in-depth discussions on key issues such as the focus and challenges of training, supervisor allocation and responsibilities and expected outcomes, exploring feasible approaches to further improve the training framework.
2) Master's thesis pre-defence and quality control. The participants discussed key points of the pre-defence process, standards for assessment, quality assurance mechanisms, and how graduating students could balance thesis writing with civil service exam preparation. Faculty members offered practical advice on time management and access to employment information, emphasising that supervisors should provide maximum support to students.
3) Recent work arrangements. Feng made specific arrangements for several important matters concerning teaching and research, including tenure evaluation, supervisor training and updates on postgraduate employment, clarifying each teacher’s responsibilities.
4) CPC group theoretical study. Faculty member He Qihao chaired a thematic CPC study session entitled ‘Xi Jinping’s Conception of the Rule of Law in Foreign-related Governance’. Faculty member Che Hu discussed how the Institute could leverage its strengths in the training of legal professionals for foreign-related affairs, stressing the urgency of advancing such work under current global conditions. Other participants also contributed their insights during the discussion.
In her concluding remarks, Liu gave detailed feedback on the Experimental Class for Internationalised Legal Professionals (Common Law Track), affirming the project’s significance while also pointing out areas for improvement and offering concrete guidance. She recommended continuous monitoring of the inaugural cohort’s training outcomes and aligning programme development with national and professional needs. On student recruitment, she suggested strengthening cooperation with source institutions to ensure the steady inflow of high-quality candidates. In terms of curriculum design, she advised updating reading lists to refine materials and include new, timely works and perspectives. Regarding practical training, she encouraged students to enhance their international competence through the principle of ‘going abroad before engaging in foreign-related affairs’, making full use of existing exchange programmes and promoting internships in common law jurisdictions.
Finally, Chair of the College Council Gu Yongqiang delivered a closing summary. He noted that Vice President Liu’s attendance demonstrated the University’s strong support for the College’s efforts in cultivating legal professionals for foreign-related affairs and further clarified the direction for the College’s future development in this area.
