The China-EU School of Law (CESL) welcomed new students as the 2018-2019 academic year kicked off on 4 September, 2018. The 2018-19 Opening Ceremony in the Classroom 305 of the Mingfa Building on Changping campus provided the first-year students with an opportunity to find out more about their programs in Chinese, European and International Law, to talk to the faculties and staffs and to know fellow students whilst engaging in a range of welcome activities.

Assistant Professor Monika Prusinowska

At the beginning of the Opening Ceremony, Assistant Professor Monika Prusinowska extended a warm welcome to all new CESL students. A journey of one thousand miles starts with the first step and she was delighted to be able to accompany all to take the first stepfor in-depth law study in the CESL.

Dr. Shavana Haythornthwaite

With Monika’s brief introduction, new students got the chance to have the very first meeting with the faculties and staffs. Flying faculty representative Dr. Shavana Haythornthwaite shared her feelings about CESL with the students. This was a unique and boundless place that everyone had the opportunity to be a better lawyer, and more importantly, a better global citizen. Everyone could find lifelong friends here, as well as keep their passion towards life and knowledge.

Prof. Zheng Yongliu

This speech enjoyed warm applauds, so did thehumorous and thought-provoking speech given by teaching faculty representative Professor Zheng Yongliu. Professor Zheng praised new students for their courage to enter into the most difficult law school in the whole CUPL. The difficulty came not only from the inner intersectionality of law itself, but also from the tough task to learn and compare both Chinese law and European law. However, the hardship of law learning will not hinder CESL students’ enthusiasm.

After the speeches of two teachers’, student representatives also expressed their feelings and expectations in turn. Yang Shuqing, a double master student from the 2017 intake, gave three tips for the first-year students: to share, to be confident, and to ask for help. The Chinese Law Taught in English student representative Lukas Tarek Ciro Stark from the 2018 intake showed his thanks to the CESL. Great as his personal growth in the CESL might be, it could not compare to the deepened mutual understanding between China and EU in the CESL.

Yang Shuqing

Lukas Tarek Ciro Stark 

Double master student and PhD candidate representatives from the 2018 intake also articulated their thoughts. Li Yuanjun, as the representative of new double master students, shared her commitment to fairness and justice and promised to continue reading books as well as carrying out social practice during the years, while the representative of new PhD candidates Yang Yang focused on the mind practice he wished to get in the CESL.

Li Yuanjun

Yang Yang

At last, co-dean of the CESL, professor Liu Fei delivered a speech. The closeness of CESL family and the importance of study were reiterated in his speech. He inspired the students to cultivategraduate thinking mode and to improve legal English level from the first beginning. Only by doing so can CESL students beleading contenders in the future.

Prof. Liu Fei

Group Photo

Text by Li Ziyun (CESL double master student from 2018 intake)
Photo by Li Zefeng