Successful Trip to China Yields New King Hall Partnerships and Initiatives

Dean Kevin R. Johnson, along with International Law Programs Executive Director Beth Greenwood, traveled to China last week to sign three agreements as part of a growing partnership between UC Davis School of Law and the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) in Beijing, China.  CUPL is the largest law school in the world with more than 20,000 students who study law and political science.  

Over the past 10 years, a number of UC Davis School of Law faculty members have visited CUPL, given workshops in their scholarly specializations, and have engaged in joint scholarly activities.  King Hall has hosted a number of CUPL faculty members and this year welcomed eight CUPL Ph.D. students as well as numerous LL.M. students from this top-ranked Chinese institution.

The purpose of the visit was to reaffirm the long-term relationship between UC Davis and CUPL by expanding joint activities and exploring new partnership models.  Dean Johnson signed an agreement with Vice President Ma Huaide to join CUPL, Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Governance, and several U.S. law schools on a new initiative that has been submitted to the Chinese government to support joint research, conferences, and exchanges on administrative law.  A second agreement expands the long-term linkage between the CUPL School of Law and the UC Davis School of Law.  Dean Johnson also signed a third agreement that will bring carefully selected CUPL students to the King Hall LL.M. program.

During the visit, Dean Johnson and Executive Director Greenwood met with various CUPL officials including Vice President Baosheng Zhang, Vice President Ma Huaide, and faculty from the School of Law and the CUPL Forensics Institute.  While at CUPL, Dean Johnson also gave two presentations, one to graduate students on judicial review and another to a media audience on the U.S. jury system that was subsequently debated by faculty experts from CUPL, Peking University, Renmin University, and Southwest University of Political Science and Law.

Dean Johnson said that he was "deeply impressed by CUPL, the leadership, faculty and students.  We are extraordinarily lucky to have such a long and deep relationship with this outstanding Chinese institution.  We look forward to collaborating on our new initiatives with CUPL as China continues to develop its uniquely Chinese legal system."

For further information regarding CUPL, please contact Beth Greenwood, International Law Programs Executive Director, UC Davis School of Law at bgreenwood@ucdavis.edu.