The 4th China Postdoctoral Law Forum Achieved Great Success

The 4th China Postdoctoral Law Forum was held on 22 September 2012 at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The Forum was led by the CASS, the National Commission of Postdoc Administration, and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and was co-organized by the Commission of Postdoc Administration of CASS, the Institute of Law of CASS, and the Institute of Applied Law of the Supreme People’s Court.

The Forum focused on a timely topic of the development of China’s governance — “the Rule of Law and Social Administration Innovation”, and consisted of a session on special topics by experts, three sessions on special topics by postdoctoral fellows, and a pilot session held in English. Approximately 180 scholars, officials, practitioners, and international guests joined the forum.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor LI Lin, Director of the Institute of Law of CASS. Distinguished guests and opening remarks speakers include Professor LUO Haocai, Vice-Chairman, the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President, China Society for Human Rights Studies; Professor XIN Chunying, Deputy Director, Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; Professor XI Xiaoming, Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court; Ms LI Qiufang, Head of the Discipline Inspection Team (Affiliated to the CPC Central Committee for Discipline Inspection) and Member of the Party Leadership Group of CASS; Mr SUN Jianli, Director-General, Department of Administration of Professionals of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and Director, General Office of the National Commission of Postdoc Administration; and Mr XIA Wenfeng, Secretary-General, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation and Director, Service Centre for International Students and Experts of HOHRSS.

The session on special topics by experts was moderated by Professor XU Chuanxi, Vice Director of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, and Professor FENG Jun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Law of CASS. Judge JIANG Huiling, Deputy Director of the Office of Judicial Reform of the Supreme People’s Court, discussed strategic framework of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in China. Professor ZHANG Zhiming of Renmin University of China talked about carrying out the rule of law and achieving social administration innovation in China. Professor LIU Nanlai, Honorable Member of CASS and Researcher of the Institute of International Law of CASS, examined the relevant legal issues of the Diaoyu Islands.

During the three sessions on special topics by postdoctoral fellows, 15 speakers discussed the rule of law in social administration innovation and innovative social administration from the perspective of different legal disciplines. Specific topics included, among others, value orientations, constitutional guarantees, a legalization approach, and a behavioural law perspective of social administration innovation, the democratization reconstruction of the legitimacy of public policies, the administrative law issues of public parking in metropolitan areas, an empirical research on public security conciliation in Liaoning province, case acceptance system and process rationality, the legal issues on death-by-overwork, the current land administration system in China, and the current administrative lawsuit remedies in China. Each session included lively questions and discussions between the speakers and the audience.

One of the bright spots of the Forum was the English session, a pilot which aimed at reinforcing postdoctoral fellows’ abilities to communicate in an international academic setting. The English session was moderated by Professor ZHANG Xinbao, Renmin University of China, and Professor ZHOU Hanhua, the Institute of Law of CASS. Four postdoctoral fellows discussed legal topics in a broader context, including social administration innovation and judicial justice in contemporary China, China and space security, contemporary lex mercatoria in China: a hybrid approach to protect distance consumers, and the analysis of the conditional approval of the Google/Motorola Mobility deal given by China’s Ministry of Commerce. Commentators offered positive comments and raised stimulating questions to each of the speakers.

The Forum was concluded with remarks from Professor CHEN Su, Secretary of the Party Committee, Institute of Law and Institute of International Law of CASS, and Judge SUN Youhai, Director of the Institute of Applied Law and Deputy Director of the Research Office of Supreme People’s Court. Professor CHEN Su expressed his warmest thanks to the organizers and participants of the Forum. He emphasized that, through examining the rule of law and social administration innovation from a variety of perspectives, speakers and participants provided insightful thoughts and suggestions on the subject matter and the Forum achieved its objectives.