To cultivate legal professionals with an international perspective and a solid legal foundation, the Law School of Beijing Normal University, in collaboration with the Law School of Roma Tre University in Italy, organized the third season of the "Fundamentals of European Private Law" full English course from March 3 to March 31, 2025. Several renowned professors in the field of European private law were invited to deliver a series of lectures, providing a comprehensive introduction to the development of European private law from ancient times to the present and sharing their cutting-edge academic thoughts and research content. The course attracted over 150 students from more than 40 universities both domestically and internationally, including Beijing Normal University, Peking University, Zhejiang University, Jilin University, Tongji University, and the University of Macau. At the same time, based on the long-standing cooperative relationship between the Law School of Beijing Normal University and the foreign-related prosecution system of the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate, this year's course also collaborated with the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate system, with colleagues from the foreign-related prosecution team joining the course, reflecting a more diversified audience for this program.

On March 3, Professor He Dan, Vice Dean of the Law School of Beijing Normal University, hosted the opening ceremony and warmly welcomed all the professors and students. Professor Liang Yingxiu, Dean of the Law School of Beijing Normal University, expressed gratitude to the professors from Italy, introduced the international exchange work of the Law School, highlighted the good cooperative history between the two schools and faculties, and proposed new prospects for further strengthening cooperation in the future.

Subsequently, Professor Carrata, Dean of the Law School of Roma Tre University, delivered a speech, stating that legal knowledge is a bridge connecting cultures. He noted that this course, representing a perspective of Roman law, provides Chinese students with a new learning experience, and the Law School of Roma Tre University is very pleased to see the cooperation with the Law School of Beijing Normal University increasingly strengthened and deepened.

Professor Enrico Toti, the Italian head of the course, pointed out that the course aims to help students understand the values and principles of Roman law, enhance their knowledge of Roman law, and share tools that are beneficial for legal studies and career development. Also attending the opening ceremony were Mr. Raffaello Girotto, Legal Advisor of the Italian Embassy in China, Associate Professor Yang Chao, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Yu Leping from the BNU Law School.

In this lecture series, Professor Toti systematically explored the origins and developmental trajectory of Roman law through themes such as “The Roman Law Foundations of European Contract Law” and “The Values and Principles of European Digital Law.” He elucidated how Roman law has integrated into the modern European legal system across temporal and spatial dimensions, while also examining the ethical underpinnings and legal frameworks shaping Europe’s digital future.

Professor Cardilli, Director of the Institute for Advanced International Studies and Head of the Eurasian Research Center at Roma Tre University, delivered a lecture titled “The Roman Law Foundations of Contemporary Private Law.” In his address, he introduced the core legal principles of Roman law and their specific applications within modern private law contexts.

Professor Tommaso Dalla Massara of Roma Tre University presented on “The Legacy of Roman Law and the Roman Law Tradition in North American Common Law.” He posited that Roman legal culture serves as a critical identifier of European identity, illustrating how fundamental private law concepts derived from Roman law have influenced legal systems across Europe and North America through an analysis of five core aspects of European legal culture.

Professor Petrucci from the University of Pisa provided a comparative analysis of “atypical” and “typical” corporate law models in Roman and modern societies. He systematically traced the evolution of modern corporate law from the universal frameworks originally established by Roman law.

Professors Beghini and Romanò from the Department of Law at Roma Tre University addressed the topic of “Civil Liability in Tort and Contract.” They explored the connections and distinctions between tort and contract within Roman law from multiple perspectives, offering valuable guidance for students pursuing further studies in the field of Roman law.

Faculty members from the Law School of Beijing Normal University—including Professor Huang Feng, Associate Professor Hu Junhong, Associate Professor Yang Chao, and Dr. Jia Wanting—who maintain long-standing academic exchanges with the Italian legal community, also hosted or participated in the series of lectures. The course featured rich pedagogical content and a dynamic classroom atmosphere, characterized by active interaction between students and professors. Based on attendance and thesis assessments, 83 students received graduation certificates jointly issued by the Law School of Beijing Normal University and the Law School of Roma Tre University.

The Law School of Beijing Normal University has consistently prioritized legal education, adhering to a development philosophy that is comprehensive, international, and distinctive, while actively expanding channels for global exchange. This year marks the third consecutive year the Law School has offered the online English course “Fundamentals of European Private Law.” To provide Chinese and international students with a more diverse and in-depth learning experience, the curriculum is continuously updated and optimized annually to ensure it keeps pace with cutting-edge research and showcases the latest developments in European private law. Throughout the program, Roman law serves as a central theme, enabling students to grasp the developmental context of the private law system by bridging history and reality—a pedagogical approach that broadens students’ international perspectives and cultivates their global legal literacy. The offering of this course has further strengthened long-standing cooperation between our school and Italian law faculties. This initiative represents a significant step in bolstering our legal discipline system, advancing legal education and theory research in the new era, enhancing the training of foreign-related legal talent, and providing a solid talent guarantee for the comprehensive rule of law.