In order to further improve the cultivation of our school’s international talents, especially cultivation of Portuguese-speaking legal talents, the school actively exploits overseas workshop projects. On the occasion of the 70th birthday of the motherland, Associate Professor YUAN Zhijie, Professor HAN Chifeng and Professor XING Aifen, Vice Deans of the Law School, led 10 students to set foot in South America to conduct language culture and academic exchange activities with teachers and students of Brazil’s FGV University. This Brazilian Private Law Workshop Project is to implement the cooperation agreement preliminarily reached by our school and the Law School of the FGV University last year. The two parties hope to carry out a Rechtsvergleichung research project in BRICS and at the same time promote the two parties’ talent cultivation. This workshop project plan is conducted on a rotational basis and will be held in our school next year. It is known that the FGV University was established in 1944, is a private university and has campuses in Sao Paulo, Rio DE Janeiro and the capital, Brasilia. As a top university with significant influence in South America, FGV has cultivated many elites in diplomacy, business, law, government and other fields in Brazil, and has initiated a brand-new cultivation mode in the cultivation of legal talents. The Law School carries out comprehensive cooperation with the Law School of the FGV University this time, which is a major move in cultivating Portuguese-speaking legal talents. There will be more moves subsequently.
Prelude: Savor the taste of South America around half circle of the equator
In the early morning of September 30, Beijing time, after more than 30 hours of flight, the visit team successfully arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city at about 4pm local time. Although having endured the hardships of a long journey, the students still could not hide the excitement of arriving in the new continent of South America. After packing up in the hotel, they went out for food and tasted Brazilian specialties.
Fig. 1: the first meal in Brazil
Opening: Building a platform for mutual learning and promoting mutual learning and improvement
On the morning of October 1, the Private Law Workshop of the FGV University was officially initiated. Professor Oscar Vilhena, Dean of the Law School of the FGV University, delivered a welcome speech and introduced why to build a new law school under the background that there have been 1,400 law schools in Brazil. Subsequently, Professor Thiago Reis randomly formed several groups of Chinese and Brazilian students in accordance with the regular teaching mode of his law school to discuss relevant cases of contract law, and discuss the similarities and differences of force majeure and situation changes in the legal systems of China and Brazil. The students had a preliminary understanding of the private law systems of China and Brazil after more than 3 hours of communication and interaction. At last, Professor André Corrêa summarized the discussion results. In the meantime, YUAN Zhijie, Vice Dean of the Law School, held talks with Dean Oscar Vilhena to discuss further cooperation.
Fig. 2: group discussion
Fig. 3: group discussion
Fig. 4: group discussion
Climax: Discuss differences of China and Brazil the spark of thinking bursts out
On the morning of October 2, teachers and students from China and Brazil carried out a discussion on the relevant issues of the private law of BRICS. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issues in the legal construction of Brazil through comparison with BRICS including China, Russia, India, etc. After PPT presentation by Brazilian students, teachers and students of the two parties conducted a lively discussion, mainly discussing the challenges faced by the private law of Brazil and China and looking forward to possible cooperation between Beijing Normal University and the FGV University in Rechtsvergleichung research, especially translation of core cases of each country.
Fig. 5: student presentation
Fig. 6: seminar
On the morning of October 3, Professor HAN Chifeng and Associate Professor YUAN Zhijie gave a keynote speech on “determination of the validity of the assignment contract” and “legal issues concerning foreign investment in Chinese real estate”. Attorney Enio L. Delollo from the LBCA Law Firm introduced the legal issues concerning foreign investment in Brazilian real estate. Brazilian professors and partners from multiple law firms asked questions and made comments, and the atmosphere was very warm.
Fig. 7: theme presentation
Fig. 8: theme presentation
On the morning of October 4, Professor XING Aifen conducted a keynote speech on the issues in the Chinese law concerning human rights, triggering a warm discussion on human rights issues and labor protection.
Fig. 9: theme presentation
After four keynote speeches, there was clash of thought and everyone had a deeper understanding of the legal systems of China and Brazil.
Prospect: Build a bridge of cooperation Write the chapter of future
On the afternoon of October 3, the students first visited China State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC). Professor Wanderley Fernandes, who was the head of legal affairs of SPIC and also taught at the Law School of the FGV University, gave a detailed introduction to Brazil's energy situation and the special features of energy contract clauses.
Fig. 10: a visit to SPIC
Subsequently, students paid a visit to DEMAREST Law Firm. Attorney ZHANG Jun shared his experience of being an attorney in Brazil and encouraged students to strengthen the learning of foreign languages and legal knowledge. Our school set a delegation to visit DEMAREST --one of the best law firms in Brazil back in 2015. This second visit and communication by teachers and students from the Law School of Beijing Normal University is the continuation of the history of friendly cooperation between the two parties.
Fig. 11: a visit to DEMAREST Law Firm
On the afternoon of October 4, students were also invited to visit Brazilian L.O. BAPTISTA Law Firm. Attorney Lígia Espolaor Veronese, Attorney Rebecca Madura and Attorney Renata Castro Veloso from the Law Firm introduced the Law Firm separately. Students also asked questions and made comments on the issues concerning arbitration, work language, etc. With the development of the two countries’ economy and trade, the Law Firm saw the broad prospect of the Chinese legal market and the importance of expanding market in China and became the first law firm in Brazil that set up an office in China. The two law firms warmly welcomed students from the Law School of Beijing Normal University to practice, making students have a brand-new understanding of Brazil and know limitless potential of cooperation between China and Brazil.
Fig. 12: L.O. BAPTISTA Law Firm
Epilogue: Think what you have learned Come back to Beijing with a full load
After the visits, the students expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Professor Thiago Reis and Professor André Corrêa for their warm reception over the past few days. The two professors said goodbye to everyone, and the Brazilian Private Law Workshop project was successfully concluded. During the project, our school’s students showed good academic and linguistic standards, displaying the achievements made by our school in personal training in recent years.