On October 30, 2025, the 71st lecture of the BNU Zhuhai Legal Lecture Series was successfully held in Room A103 of the Lijiao Building at the Zhuhai Campus of Beijing Normal University. The lecture was delivered by Professor Alain Wijffels of KU Leuven, a distinguished member of both the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Academy of Belgium. Professor Zhang Lihong, a doctoral supervisor from East China University of Political Science and Law, served as the panelist, while Associate Professor Niu Zihan from the Center on the Rule of Law and Development at Beijing Normal University moderated the session. The event was attended by faculty members from the Center and students from various disciplines across the Zhuhai Campus.

To begin, Associate Professor Niu Zihan extended a warm welcome to Professor Alain Wijffels, briefly outlining his extensive academic background and notable achievements in the fields of European legal history and the laws of war.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Alain Wijffels introduced the theme of the lecture. He pointed out that the codification movement in France and Belgium is not merely a compilation of legal texts, but a profound institutional change that significantly impacts social structure and national governance. Through an examination of the application of civil codes since the 19th century, Professor Wijffels emphasized that the actual operation of codes has transcended their texts, becoming an important bridge connecting legal traditions and modern rule of law. The lecture primarily used the Belgian legal system as a case study to explore the history, characteristics, evolution, and status of codes within modern legal systems.

Subsequently, Professor Alain Wijffels elaborated in detail on seven aspects: the theoretical framework of codification, the definition and historical evolution of codes, the five major characteristics of codes, the history of codification in Belgium, the evolution of other codes, the challenges and trends of modern codes, and conclusions and reflections.

Subsequently, Ms. Niu Zihan expressed gratitude for Professor Wijffels' wonderful lecture and pointed out that his research provides an important perspective for understanding the dynamic evolution of codified law in the civil law system. During the discussion session, several students asked Professor Wijffels questions regarding the tension between the stability of codification and social change, as well as the similarities and differences between the Chinese legal system and the civil law system from a comparative law perspective. Professor Wijffels responded to each question, and the atmosphere of the discussion was lively. Then, Professor Zhang Lihong shared his insights on the issue of cultural adaptability in the process of codification, while Ms. Niu Zihan and Ms. Wu Qian also expressed their views. They engaged in an in-depth discussion on related academic issues, further expanding the theoretical depth and practical relevance of the lecture.

Finally, Ms. Niu Zihan summarized the entire lecture, expressing heartfelt thanks to Professor Alain Wijffels for his excellent presentation. The lecture concluded successfully amidst the warm applause of all the faculty and students.