Introduction to the Law School of Beijing Normal University

Beijing Normal University, a key university directly under the Ministry of Education of China, renowned for its focus on teacher education, educational sciences, and fundamental disciplines in arts and sciences. The Law School is one of the most vibrant colleges within this century-old prestigious university. The school originated from the law major that was initiated within the Department of Philosophy in 1995. It was in 2002 that this major evolved into a distinct Department of Law, which paved the way for the establishment of the College for Criminal Law Science, the only substantive academic institution in the field of criminal law in China, in 2005 and the subsequent official launch of the Law School in 2006. In 2019, in accordance with the university's reform plan, the College for Criminal Law Science, as an "operational and institutionalized research institution," operates relatively independently under the newly established Law School; the Research Center on International Cooperation Regarding Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery in G20 Member States has become a non-institutional unit affiliated with the Law School. Although young in its establishment, the Law School has rapidly accrued a string of impressive achievements. For the first time, it was ranked in Class A in the fifth round of discipline evaluations by the Ministry of Education and ranked 14th in Chinese mainland in the QS World University Rankings by Subject in Law for 2023. The Law School of Beijing Normal University is strategically positioned to advance the comprehensive development of the rule of law. It operates within the university's "one body, two wings" development model, specifically tailored to meet the socio-economic needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Law School will enhance the unique development trajectories of both the primary campus and the Zhuhai campus, ensuring a balanced and synergistic growth between the two.

The Law School of Beijing Normal University prides itself on a thorough and progressive talent cultivation structure that spans from undergraduate to master's and doctoral programs. In 2012, the Law School was distinguished as one of the initial national bases for the cultivation of outstanding legal talents and national bases for the cultivation of international legal talents, while also being designated as a legal practice education base by the Ministry of Education. By 2018, Beijing Normal University had secured authorization to confer doctoral degrees in law as a primary discipline. In 2019, the institution was granted permission to set up a postdoctoral research station in law. In 2020, it was honored as a national first-tier undergraduate specialty construction site. Presently, the Law School has a tiered educational framework designed to nurture professionals at every academic level. The undergraduate education features a law major, bolstered by the base for the cultivation of outstanding legal talents and base for the cultivation of international legal talents of the Ministry of Education. It has established the Zhuoyue Experimental Class and the Maxdo Experimental Class, aiming to cultivate high-quality legal professionals, grounded in humanities and the ethos of the rule of law, with a comprehensive grasp of legal knowledge, the ability to innovate, and a global outlook, embodying the "four-haves" qualities. In the realm of graduate education, the Law School offers a full spectrum of legal disciplines, excluding military law, and includes a JM program as well as a Master of Chinese Law program tailored for international students. Notably, the school's criminal law specialty stands at the forefront of the field nationwide. With a student body exceeding 1,500, the Law School is home to more than 450 undergraduates, over 800 master's students, more than 120 doctoral candidates, and upwards of 150 students working towards a second degree at the Zhuhai campus.

The Law School consistently prioritizes faculty development and has successfully built a distinguished team of educators. This team is anchored by leading figures in the field who command national recognition and is bolstered by a strong cadre of respected young and mid-career academics. The school's academic staff totals 91 dedicated professionals, comprising 45 professors, 33 associate professors, and 13 lecturers. Almost a fifth of the faculty have earned their doctoral degrees from prestigious international institutions. The faculty includes a Chang Jiang Scholar Distinguished Professor and three individuals who have been recognized as part of the "Top Ten Outstanding Young Jurists" in China. In 2019, the school's honorary professor, Gao Mingxuan, was singularly honored as the legal community's representative with the "People's Educator" national title and the distinction of "The Best Striver." In 2023, Professors He Ting and Liao Shiping were nominated for the 10th "National Outstanding Young Jurist" Award and were included in the Ministry of Education's "Young Chang Jiang Scholar" program. Many of the faculty members also hold leadership roles as presidents and vice-presidents of national legal societies, occupy key positions in international academic bodies, sit on the editorial boards of leading international journals, and serve as expert witnesses in international legal proceedings. Furthermore, the school has engaged prominent scholars and experts from esteemed universities and institutions such as the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences as honorary and adjunct faculty members.

The Law School places a high premium on international exchange and has developed distinctive strengths and advantages, resulting in the establishment of several high-profile international exchange platforms. The College for Criminal Law Science currently holds memberships and partnerships with various international bodies, including the United Nations Network for Criminal Justice, the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) Alliance, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate of the UN Security Council, and the Intergovernmental Expert Group on Cybercrime, and enjoys formal consultative status with the United Nations. These platforms comprehensively support China's role in the global legal governance system. Simultaneously, the Law School and the College for Criminal Law Science have entered into cooperation agreements with more than 60 universities and institutions in countries such as the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Canada. They have established exchange programs and summer programs with over ten European and American universities, including the University of Oxford and the University of Aberdeen in the UK, Emory University and the College of William & Mary in the US, the University of Toulouse in France, and the University of Montreal in Canada. In addition, they collaborate with the Faculty of Law and Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany and the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University in the UK on dual-degree master's programs, actively exploring the cultivation of international legal talents. Furthermore, the Law School offers an English-taught master’s program in Chinese Law and has jointly initiated an International Certification Program in E-commerce Law with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, recruiting and nurturing international students. This creates a diverse cultural exchange environment within the school.

The Law School also places significant emphasis on domestic collaboration, which has become another distinctive feature and strength. The Law School and the College for Criminal Law Science have successively established regular exchange and cooperation mechanisms with 15 departments of the central political and legal leadership organs, such as the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Justice, as well as with more than 50 local political and legal organs and practical departments, including the High People's Court of Beijing Municipality, the High People's Court of Shanghai Municipality, the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, the Beijing People's Procuratorate, and the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Procuratorate. The Law School and the College for Criminal Law Science have jointly established a number of teaching, research, and practice bases, including the Research Base for Duty Crimes (co-established by the Supreme People's Court and Beijing Normal University), the Research Base for People's Courts’ Comprehensive Management of Social Contradictions and Disputes (co-established with the Supreme People's Court), the Research Center on Procuratorial Work for Children (co-established with the Supreme People's Procuratorate), the Beijing Educational Law Research Base (co-established with the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and other units), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Judicial Research and Innovation Base (jointly established in Zhuhai with the High People's Court of Guangdong Province). The school has dispatched more than 30 faculty members to take a temporary post in central and local political and legal organs for exchange programs and has invited 140 domestic practice experts and lawyers to serve as off-campus mentors for master's students, promoting two-way exchanges with personnel in legal practice departments. In addition, the school has initiated a series of lectures such as the BNU Criminal Law Practice Lecture Series, the BNU Anti-Corruption Practice Lecture Series, and the BNU Distinguished Criminal Jurist Lecture Series, and has invited judges, prosecutors, and lawyers with rich practical experience to participate in lectures and teaching, actively promoting the integration of legal education and legal practice.

The Law School actively serves the nation's legal system construction, providing consultative advice for national decision-making. Faculty members have participated in the drafting and revision of laws such as the Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, governmental regulations, judicial interpretations by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and local regulations, with over 230 person-times involved. They have provided invaluable support and counsel to the nation in addressing territorial and trade disputes, responding to significant legal incidents, managing contentious and complex legal cases, and in the international pursuit of fugitives and the recovery of assets. Over a hundred research reports have been incorporated into the policies of central and local government entities, with several dozen earning commendatory recognition from senior national leaders.

Drawing on the prestigious reputation of Beijing Normal University, known both in China and internationally, the Law School is steadfast in upholding the essence of its motto:" Pursue Moral Education, Promote the Rule of Law." The school is committed to maintaining a high-caliber entry point, a research-driven methodology, and a global perspective on development, with a focus on nurturing exceptional legal practitioners and distinguished legal scholars. The Law School is passionately engaged in establishing itself as a preeminent and globally acclaimed hub for legal education and scholarly research.