News Network Report (By Zhuo Zhangpeng; Photo by Cui Zhenzhen) On July 6, the 14th “Legal Alliance” National Forum of Political Science and Law Institutes, hosted by ZUEL, was grandly convened at the Nanhu Campus. Focusing on the theme “Improving the Practice-Oriented Education and Training Mechanism in Law Schools,” the forum brought together over 200 legal experts, legal practitioners, legal elites, and relevant industry leaders from alliance universities, research institutions, judicial bodies, and legal service organizations. They gathered at ZUEL to discuss advancing the high-quality development of legal education and legal theory research in the new era.
Distinguished attendees included You Quanrong, Secretary of Party Leadership Group and President of Hubei Higher People’s Court; Wang Shou’an, Secretary of Party Leadership Group and Chief Procurator of the People’s Procuratorate of Hubei; Zhou Zhenwu, Executive Deputy Secretary of Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee; Yang Jun, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Department of Justice of Hubei Province; responsible officials from the Legal Education and Pre-service Training Division of Bureau of Legal Professional Qualifications Administration of the Ministry of Justice; and university leaders from 10 alliance institutions.
Hou Zhenfa, Secretary of the Party Committee of ZUEL, noted that in recent years, the university has continuously refined its legal talent cultivation system, innovated training models for rule-of-law talent, optimized legal discipline layouts, and persistently improved “practice-oriented legal education.” He expressed hope that legal experts and scholars would leverage this forum to jointly promote deep integration of knowledge-based and practice-based teaching, collectively addressing the fundamental questions of “whom to cultivate, how to cultivate, and for whom to cultivate.”
Jiang Zeting, Secretary of the Party Committee of China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), emphasized that deeply understanding legal practice, practice-based education, and collaborative education is key to answering the era-defining question of “What role should law schools play in building a strong nation in education?” It is also crucial for fulfilling the fundamental task of “fostering virtue through education” and driving the core momentum of “deepening reform.” He stressed adherence to Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as the fundamental guide, integrating its core essence into all aspects of practical teaching.
Zhou Zhenwu, Executive Deputy Secretary of Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, stated that the commission would earnestly study and adopt the insights of legal experts, fully utilize the forum’s research outcomes, and further support legal education and theoretical research in legal and political work. This aims to consolidate Hubei’s status as a major province in legal studies and contribute to building a peaceful and law-based China.
A responsible official from the Legal Education and Pre-service Training Division of Bureau of Legal Professional Qualifications Administration of the Ministry of Justice highlighted that improving practice-oriented legal education requires upholding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to nurture talent, integrating Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law throughout all stages of cultivating rule-of-law talent. Meanwhile, it also requires adhering to a practice-oriented approach to support the development of China’s autonomous legal knowledge system and promote high-quality development of master of law education.
Zhu Fangwei, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of ZUEL, presided over the opening ceremony
Keynote speeches were delivered by: You Quanrong (Secretary of Party Leadership Group and President of Hubei Higher People’s Court), Wang Shou’an (Secretary of Party Leadership Group and Chief Procurator of the People’s Procuratorate of Hubei), Yang Jun (Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Department of Justice of Hubei Province), Ma Huaide (President, CUPL) , Lin Wei (President, Southwest University of Political Science and Law), Xiao Kai (President, East China University of Political Science and Law), Zhao Wandong ((Secretary of the Party Committee, Northwest University of Political Science and Law), Jiao Shengrong ((Secretary of the Party Committee, Gansu University of Political Science and Law), Liu Xiaohong (President, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law), Wang Xiaotong (President, Shandong University of Political Science and Law), Si Linsheng ((Secretary of the Party Committee and President, Henan University of Economics and Law), Chen Xudong ((Secretary of the Party Committee and President, Xinjiang University of Political Science and Law), Hou Zhenfa ((Secretary of the Party Committee, ZUEL). Guo Weilu (Secretary of the Party Committee, ECUPL) and Fan Jiuli (President, NWUPL) chaired the thematic forum sessions separately.
In addition to the main forum, five sub-forums were held. In the afternoon, legal experts and scholars engaged in in-depth discussions on the theme.
Sub-forum 1
Sub-forum 2
Sub-forum 3
Sub-forum 4
Sub-forum 5
Conveners of each sub-forum reported on their discussions respectively during the closing ceremony.
Zhu Fangwei, on behalf of ZUEL, proposed an initiative to deepen practical legal education. He called for jointly building an AI-powered practical legal education platform, improving the collaborative education mechanism between law schools and legal practice departments, developing standards for practical teaching, and expanding international practical channels.
The closing ceremony announced that the 15th National Forum will be hosted by Gansu University of Political Science and Law, followed by a handover ceremony of the forum emblem.
Chen Baifeng, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of ZUEL, presided over the closing ceremony.
The “Legal Alliance” National Forum, hosted rotationally by alliance universities, is a nationally influential high-level forum for legal studies and exchange. This marks ZUEL’s second time hosting the alliance’s academic event, following the 4th Forum in 2013.
Reviewed by: Liu Jianming