Category: Conference

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NORDIC CHINA LAW WEEK 2018: CHINA LAW RESEARCH WORKSHOP

As part of Nordic China Law Week 2018, the Finnish China Law Center organized a China Law Research Workshop on Thursday 19 April 2018 at the University of Helsinki, one of the Finnish China Law Center’s 10 member institutions.

The Workshop, co-organized with the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki and supported by University of Helsinki Chinese Studies and the Confucius Institute of the University of Helsinki, provided an overview of how to approach Chinese legal research and comparative law research involving China.

Judge and professor Alan Neal hosted the event and gave presentations during the China Law Research Workshop on 19 April 2018 at the University of Helsinki.

Professor and judge Alan C. Neal moderated the event, which was opened by Director of the Finnish China Law Center, Professor Ulla Liukkunen, and the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo.

This was the second time the Finnish China Law Center has held a China Law Research Workshop.

As was the case with the first Workshop, the event was attended by a diverse range of people. The over 80 registered attendees of more than 10 nationalities included university scholars, think tank researchers, diplomats, students, lawyers, those working in business (ranging from large multinational corporations to startups), entrepreneurs and government representatives.

Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, opened the Workshop and also gave a presentation on the topic ‘Taking Account of History When Researching Contemporary Law’.

In what proved to be a full and engaging program, presentations were given by leading scholars based in the Nordic region, including Professor Ditlev Tamm of the University of Copenhagen who spoke on the topic ‘Nordic Reflections on Chinese Culture, the Rule of Law and Judicial Reform with Chinese Characteristics.’

In addition, three professors based in top-tier Chinese law schools traveled to Helsinki to contribute to the Workshop.

Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University) speaking on ‘How to Approach Chinese IP Law and Private Law Theory’ at the China Law Workshop.

Professor Yan Dong (Acting Dean of Beijing Foreign Studies University) gave presentations on the sources of Chinese law and the Chinese legal system in an international context. Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University) spoke on ‘How to Approach Chinese IP Law and Private Law Theory’. Assistant Associate Professor Yan Tian (Peking University) spoke on the topic ‘How to Approach Chinese Labour Law and Industrial Relations’.

Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University) speaking on ‘How to Approach Chinese Labour Law and Industrial Relations’ at the China Law Research Workshop on 19 April 2018.

Professor Julie Yu-Wen Chen, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of Confucius Institute at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki, discussed the relationship between culture and research involving contemporary China.

Professor Matti Nojonen (University of Lapland), Deputy Chair of the Finnish China Law Center, drew upon his experience in China and ongoing research when talking about the ‘Intersections of Economics, Business and the Law in China: Implications for Legal Research’.

Professor Matti Nojonen speaking at the China Law Research Workshop at the University of Helsinki on 19 April 2018.

Another well-received presentation at the Workshop was given by Post-doctoral Researcher Dr Yihong Zhang (University of Helsinki), who drew upon her academic background and experience as a corporate lawyer in China when speaking on the China’s Company law regime.

The Workshop also included a panel discussion on the practicalities of China law teaching and research, featuring Professor Jukka Viljanen (University of Tampere), Dr Harriet Lonka (University of Eastern Finland), Dr Wei Lu (Aalto University) and Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca (University of Helsinki).

The Workshop ended with Rector’s Reception hosted by Dean Letto-Vanamo, which provided an excellent opportunity for speakers and participants to network and have in-depth discussions about the themes covered during the Workshop.

The Workshop was one of many exciting events organized as part of Nordic China Law Week 2018.

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Friday 20 April: First Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

 

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Nordic China Law Week 2018: 17 – 23 April

The Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki are proudly co-hosting Nordic China Law Week 2018.

‘Nordic China Law Week 2018 will be held 17 – 23 April and will feature an exciting array speakers and contributors from China and the Nordic region’, says Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Center.

‘This reflects ever-deepening interest in Chinese law in the Nordic academic, and broader public, arena’.

‘In addition, Nordic China Law Week 2018 is being held in response to strong and growing interest in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system from the private and non-profit sectors’, Professor Liukkunen says.

‘In light of corporate demand, including from local SMEs and startups, Nordic China Law Week 2018 will include many events on Chinese business and corporate law, including Chinese intellectual property law’.

Professor Liukkunen says the Center is particularly thankful for the contribution and involvement of scholars from across the Center’s 10 member institutions.

Nordic China Law Week 2018 will include a day-long China Law Workshop, the first-ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting, a half-day seminar on contemporary people management in China (special guest speaker: Peter Vesterbacka of Angry Birds and Slush fame), a short-form seminar on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as guest lectures on Chinese constitutional and intellectual property law.

The Week is targeted at lawyers, those in business (including entrepreneurs), people working in governments or international organizations, academics, students, those working in NGOs /civil society and anyone with an interest in learning about Chinese law and legal culture.

All events are free and open to the public, with the exception of the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting (aimed at senior scholars from education and research institutions in the Nordic region, though junior academics, including doctoral candidates, are welcome to join). The host of the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting will be Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki.

Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, will host the first-ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting during Nordic China Law Week 2018.

The Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, thank University of Helsinki Chinese Studies and the Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki for their support for Nordic China Law Week 2018.

Program of events

Further details of each event in Nordic China Law Week 2018, as well as links to register where relevant, can be found in the following event pages on the website of the Finnish China Law Center:

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Thursday 19 April: China Law Research Workshop

Friday 20 April: Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

Further questions and media inquiries

Please contact Stuart Mooney, Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

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Finnish China Law Center to hold China Law Research Workshop for Researchers, Practitioners and Students: Thursday 19 April 2018

As part of Nordic China Law Week 2018, the Finnish China Law Center is organizing a China Law Research Workshop to be held on Thursday 19 April 2018 at the University of Helsinki, Finland, one of the Finnish China Law Center’s 10 member institutions.

The Workshop will provide an overview of how to approach Chinese legal research and comparative law research involving China.

The event will be of benefit to students, researchers and practitioners who are interested in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system, and provide an excellent opportunity for participants to meet and network with others who are working with, or interested in, Chinese law and legal culture.

This is the second time the Finnish China Law Center has held a China Law Research Workshop, which is being co-organized with the Faculty of Law and Confucius Institute of the University of Helsinki.

Moderator and Speakers

Professor and judge Alan C. Neal will moderate the event, which will be opened by the Director of the Finnish China Law Center, Professor Ulla Liukkunen.

Professor Alan Neal (Photo credit: Leiden University)

Professor Neal will be joined by scholars from the Nordic region and China. Visiting scholars from China include Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University), Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University) and Associate Professor Yan Tian (Peking University).

Registration

Please register by close of business Monday 16 April through the following electronic registration form:

https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/87422/lomake.html

Workshop Program 

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

08:30 – 09:00  Registration and coffee

09:00 – 09:15  Welcome to the workshop

Introduction to the Workshop and Some Thoughts on China Law Research: Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture (University of Helsinki)

09:15 – 10:45  Session 1. Background: China and Chinese Law in Context

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Discovering ‘China’: An Overview: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Sources of Chinese Law: Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University)

Nordic Reflections on Chinese Culture, the Rule of Law and Judicial Reform with Chinese Characteristics: Professor Ditlev Tamm (University of Copenhagen)

10:45 – 11:00  Morning tea/coffee

11:00 – 12:30  Session 2. Theoretical Perspectives: Historical and Comparative Approaches to Chinese Law and Legal Culture 

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Culture and Contemporary China: Professor Julie Yu-Wen Chen, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of Confucius Institute at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki

Intersections of Economics, Business and the Law in China: Implications for Legal Research: Professor Matti Nojonen (University of Lapland)

Taking Account of History When Researching Contemporary Law: Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law (University of Helsinki)

12:30 – 13:45  Lunch

13:45 – 15:15  Session 3. Institutions and Actors: Contextualizing Law in China (parallel session)

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

The Chinese Legal System in an International Context: Professor Yan Dong (Beijing Foreign Studies University)

Gendered Choices in Structures of Law and Gender: Theoretical Considerations When Undertaking Comparative and Chinese Law Research: Minna Canth Academy Professor Johanna Niemi (University of Turku) and Doctoral Researcher Pia Eskelinen (University of Turku)

Legal Institutions: Judicial and Administrative Decision-Making in China: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

13:45 – 15:15  Session 4. Current ‘Hot’ Topics in Chinese Private Law (parallel session)

Venue: Auditorium XII, Third Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 34

Session moderator: Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture (University of Helsinki)

How to Approach Chinese IP Law and Private Law Theory: Professor Jin Haijun (Renmin University)

How to Approach Chinese Labour Law and Industrial Relations: Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University)

How to Approach the Chinese Company Law Regime: Dr Yihong Zhang (University of Helsinki)

15:15 – 15:30  Afternoon coffee/tea

15:30 – 16:30  Panel Discussion: Practicalities of China Law Teaching and Research

Venue: Small Hall, Fourth Floor of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33

Session moderator: Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Professor Jukka Viljanen (University of Tampere)
Dr Harriet Lonka (University of Eastern Finland)
Dr Wei Lu (Aalto University)
Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca (University of Helsinki)

16:30 End of Workshop

18:00 Official Reception hosted by Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

Venue: Faculty of Law Teachers’ Lounge, Second Floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3)

Other Events During Nordic China Law Week 2018 

The Workshop is just one of many exciting events being organized as part of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April 2018).

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Friday 20 April: First Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

Further Information and Media Inquiries

Questions about the Workshop from interested participants and the media can be directed to the Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, Stuart Mooney, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

Logo of the University of Helsinki, the Law Faculty of which co-organized the China Law Research Workshop.
Logo of the Confucius Institute of the University of Helsinki, co-organizer of the China Law Research Workshop.
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University of Helsinki to Host First-Ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting

On Friday 20 April 2018, the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center will host the first-ever Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting.

The Meeting is being held as part of Nordic China Law Week 2018.

The purpose of the Meeting, which will be held between 09:00 – 11:00, is to provide a forum in which scholars can share their China law-related activities and plans, and explore forms and possibilities of inter-institutional collaboration at a general level.

There will also be discussion of Nordic-wide involvement in some events being organized by the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center, including the 9th Bilateral Seminar on Comparative Law with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) (Beijing, September 2018 – exact date to be confirmed).

This round table discussion is open to those affiliated with universities or research institutions in the Nordic region whose research or teaching relates to the law and China (including Chinese law, comparative law involving China, and China’s engagement with international law).

Scholars who would like to pursue legal teaching or research involving China are also invited to attend.

While the meeting is intended for senior scholars, junior academics, including doctoral students, are warmly encouraged to join.

Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, will chair the Meeting.

Tea and coffee will be served during the meeting, and a light lunch will follow.

Registering to attend

Those interested in attending the event are kindly asked to register, and indicate any dietary preferences/needs, through this electronic form:

https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/86596/lomake.html  

The Meeting will be held in the Meeting Room of the Faculty of Law (P545), 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki).

Other events in Nordic China Law Week 2018

Those interested in Chinese law and legal culture are encouraged to join other events being held during Nordic China Law Week 2018.

Directly after the Meeting (from 12:15 to 13:45), legal scholar and judge Professor Alan Neal (Warwick University) will give a guest lecture, which participants at the Meeting are encouraged to attend.

Other events during the Week include:

Tuesday 17 April: Trade Governance of the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Wednesday 18 April: Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday 18 April: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?

Thursday 19 April: China Law Research Workshop

Monday 23 April: Seminar: What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives

Further questions and media inquiries

Questions about the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting, and Nordic China Law Week 2018, can be directed at the Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, Stuart Mooney, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

Flags of the Nordic countries. Photo credit: Hansjorn CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
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Trade Governance of China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative: 17 April 2018

As part of Nordic China Law Week 2018, the Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki cordially extend an invitation to a short-form seminar on:

Trade Governance of China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Logic and Institutional Arrangements

Date and time: 14:15 – 15:45 on Tuesday 17 April 2018

Venue: Meeting Room of the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Room 545 on the 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki).

The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Cheng Dawei of the Renmin University School of Economics.

The Renmin University School of Economics has been consistently ranked by the Chinese Ministry of Education as the best university in China in both theoretical and applied economics.

Professor Cheng will cover issues including the economic logic of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) Initiative, value choices of its trade governance and the OBOR Initiative’s institutional and legal arrangements. She will also look at what the future holds for this huge infrastructure project, a signature project of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The event will be moderated by Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça of the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki. It is free to attend, open to the public, and no prior registration is required. The event will be in English.

The event is being organized with the support of the University of Helsinki Chinese Studies and Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki.

About the speakers

Professor Cheng is Dean of the International Business Program at the Renmin University School of Economics. She is the author of seven books, including Belt and Road Initiative China’s Trade Governance and Policy (Routledge, forthcoming May 2018), and many articles. Professor Cheng’s teaching and research interests include commercial diplomacy, international trade, China’s foreign economic and trade relations, and E-Business.

Professor Cheng Dawei, Dean of the International Business Program at the Renmin University School of Economics

 

Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça is a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki and holds affiliated memberships at the University of Lisbon and The Collaborative Innovation Centre For Silk Road Economic Belt Studies” (CIC-SREBS), Xi’an Jiaotong University. His previous roles include Lecturer in Law (tenure-track) in China at Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Law.

Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

Further information and media inquiries

Please direct questions about the event to the Coordinator of the Finnish China Law Center, Stuart Mooney, at stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

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Peter Vesterbacka and Finnish scholars to discuss people management practices in China in Seminar at Aalto University School of Business

To mark the end of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April), on Monday 23 April, Aalto University and the Finnish China Law Center will host a half-day seminar:

‘What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives’

China is already the second largest country in the world in terms of GDP and thus it is increasingly becoming common for Finnish firms to work in and with China. As China is culturally different from Finland, many Finnish people find it challenging to understand what management practices work best in China.

As China’s economy continues to grow and diversify, new opportunities and challenges are emerging. In addition, legal considerations – including a range of Chinese labor laws based on international standards – affect how businesses operating in China manage their workforce.

This seminar, held during the 40th anniversary of China’s ‘Reform and Opening Up’ reforms, brings together academics from management and legal backgrounds, as well as one of Finland’s leading entrepreneurs, to provide interdisciplinary insights and explore developments in contemporary people management practices in China.

This free, public event is targeted at managers, practitioners, scholars, and students.

Details and Registration

Date: Monday 23 April 2018

Time: 13:00 – 17:00 (including refreshments and networking event).

Location: Aalto University School of Business, Room C-350 (Jenni and Antti Wihuri Hall), Runeberginkatu 14-16, Helsinki.

The organizers kindly ask you to register by 19 April 2018 via this link:

https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/87100/lomake.html

Program

13:00  Welcome to the Seminar: Professor Carl Fey, Aalto University School of Business

13:05  Fundamental Labour Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility in China: Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law, University of Helsinki

13:30  Changing HRM Practices in China: Implications for Practitioners and Researchers: Dr Wei Lu, Aalto University School of Business

13:55  The Relationship between Education, Business Culture and Employee Engagement in China: Peter Vesterbacka, Co-founder and BrandBreaker, Lightneer Inc

14:20  Tea/coffee break

14:35  What Types of Organizational Culture Work Best in China? Professor Carl F. Fey, Aalto University School of Business

15:00  Panel Discussion: The Future of People Management in China: Educational, Political, Economic and Legal Considerations

Professor Carl Fey, Aalto University School of Business (Moderator)
Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Finnish Center of Chinese Law / University of Helsinki
Peter Vesterbacka, Co-founder and BrandBreaker, Lightneer Inc
Dr Wei Lu, Aalto University School of Business

16:00  Refreshments and networking

17:00  End of event

Speaker Bios

Carl F. Fey is a Professor of International Business at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland and a Visiting Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Fey’s research focuses on exploring what management practices are most effective in China and Russia. He is an experienced researcher (has published 60+ articles) and executive educator specialized in firm internationalization, organizational culture, knowledge transfer, mergers and acquisitions, innovation, networks, and what leadership styles and management practices work best in China and Russia. Fey is recipient of the 2013 Journal of International Business Studies Decade Award and Deputy Editor of Management and Organization Review. From 2011-2015 Fey was Dean of Nottingham University Business School China which he grew to have 2500 students and a faculty of 90 from 28 countries.  From 1997-2010, Fey helped the Stockholm School of Economics to develop a branch campus in Russia which became one of the two leading business schools for EMBAs/executive education in Russia. Fey has worked as a consultant or executive educator for many leading foreign and local firms in China and Russia.

Ulla Liukkunen is Professor of Labour Law and Private International Law at the University of Helsinki, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture and a Member of the Board of the European China Law Studies Association. Professor Liukkunen has lead two Academy of Finland projects on labor law and China. Her recent publications include Rule of Law Development and Judicial Reform (edited with Li Lin and Xie Zengyi, Social Sciences Academic Press 2016), Employee Participation and Collective Bargaining in Europe and China (edited with Chen Su, Jürgen Basedow and Matteo Fornasier, Mohr Siebeck 2016) and China and ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (edited with Chen Yifeng, Kluwer International 2014). Professor Liukkunen’s current research focuses on employee participation and posted workers in Europe and China.

Mr Peter Vesterbacka is one of Finland’s leading entrepreneurs and business figures. In 2011, TIME magazine chose Vesterbacka as one of the world’s hundred most influential people. He is co-founder and BrandBreaker of educational mobile game company, Lightneer Inc. His many roles have included serving as the Chief Marketing Officer and ‘Mighty Eagle’ of Rovio Entertainment Oy, best known for the global ‘Angry Birds’ brand. Mr Vesterbacka is also the founder of Slush, an international non-profit initiative that organizes startup-related events in Helsinki and other countries, including China. Mr Vesterbacka has a strong interest in China and visits the country regularly. He is outspoken on the relationship between China’s education system, initiative and creativity. One of Mr Vesterbacka’s current ideas is to open a tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn, an area he sees as a ‘natural part of the Silk Road’.

 

Peter Vesterbacka, Co-founder and BrandBreaker, Lightneer Inc, will speak at Aalto University on Monday 23 April 2018. Pic credit: www.Lightneer.com

 

Dr Wei Lu is currently doing her post-doctoral research at the International Business Unit of Aalto University. Her recent research has focused on human resource management (HRM) practices in multinational corporations (MNCs) in China, for example, practice transfer, localization of HRM practices, organizational commitment and career mobility. She has also conducted research projects on strategies of internationalization of Finnish companies in China and Finnish-Chinese intercultural communication. Dr Lu has long standing experience in teaching at higher education institutions in China and Finland. She has lectured on e.g., China’s Economic Reform, Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment in China, China as a Business Environment, Business in East and Southeast Asia. In addition to research and teaching, Dr Lu actively provides training and consultation for Finnish companies on Doing Business in China and Business Culture in Asia.

Further Information

For inquiries about the event, kindly contact Dr Wei Lu at wei.lu@aalto.fi.

 

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New Sino-Finnish Research Center for Science, Technology and Innovation Forum on Energy Transition During Vaasa Energy Week

The newly-established Sino-Finnish Research Center for Science, Technology and Innovation (Sino-Finnish STI Center), co-founded by Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Vaasa and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Strategy and Development, held an International Forum on Energy Transition during Vaasa EnergyWeek (19 – 23 March 2018).

The International Forum on Energy Transition was held from 8:30-15:30 on 20 March 2018 at Vaasa City Hall (8:30-12:30) and Fabriikki F118, University of Vaasa (13:30-15:30). The event was free and open to all.

Full program and list of speakers

The purpose of the International Forum on Energy Transition was to engage policy makers, research experts and industrial practitioners from China and Europe to discuss energy transition activities and related policies policies. By doing so, the organizer’s hoped to promote international cooperation between China and Europe towards green growth.

Speakers at the Forum included Dr Jari Kuusisto (Rector of University of Vaasa), Pan Jiao Feng (President of Chinese Academy of Sciences Institutes of Science and Development), Professor Bai Quan (Vice-Director of the Energy Efficiency Center, Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission), Joakim Strand (Member of Parliament of Finland), Guo Xiaoguang (Counselor of Chinese Embassy to Finland) and more.

The full program and list of speakers can be found here.

 

Picture credit: https://www.energyweek.fi/

About the Sino-Finnish STI Center

The aim of the new Sino-Finnish STI Center is develop a think tank supporting policy makers and business in Europe and China. The Center’s mission is to address environmental and societal challenges and promote economic growth by means of conducting policy studies on science technology and innovation.

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Helsinki Conference on the Chinese Model of Governance

The Confucius Center at the University of Helsinki, one of the 10 member institutions of the Finnish China Law Center, organized the Helsinki Conference on the Chinese Model of Governance on 20 March 2018 at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Scholars revisited discussions of the Chinese model of governance and articulate the old and new features of Xi Jinping’s model of governance. Most current research on the China model debates whether there is such model, and the characteristics and essences of the model if it exists. This conference discussed, from a variety of perspectives including critical empirical case studies, the various manifestations of the Chinese model of governance, ranging from local governance, local election, civil society to economic policies.

Opening Remarks were given by Professor Julie Yu-Wen Chen of the University of Helsinki. Keynote speakers at the conference were Oscar Almén, Uppsala University, Sweden, and Zhongyuan Wang from Fudan University, China.

Constantin Holzer of University College Cork spoke on ‘The Principal-Agent Dichotomy of Public Goods Provision in China and The Role of Entrepreneurship’ and Natalie Ruvimbo Hodzi (University of Helsinki) discussed Zimbabwean elite opinions of China’s model of governance. Other presentations and remarks were given by Adam Knight (Oxford University), Riccardo Berti and Mariagrazia Semprebon (lawyers from Italy) and Coleman Mahler (UC Berkeley).

Questions and media inquiries

Questions about the conference can be directed to the Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki, Professor Julie Chen, at julie.chen (at) helsinki.fi.

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Multiple Visits to China Cap Year of Growing Bilateral Legal Research and Education Collaboration between the University of Helsinki and China

The end of 2017 saw a flurry of visits of scholars and staff to China from the University of Helsinki, one of the 10 member institutions of the Finnish China Law Center.

The visits capped off a year marked by ever-deepening cooperation between the University of Helsinki and Chinese scholars and institutions.

In October 2017, Rector of the University of Helsinki, Jukka Kola, led a large delegation of scholars and staff to China.

The purpose of the Rector’s visit was to underscore the significance the University of Helsinki attaches to its friends and partners in China.

During his visit, Rector Kola further developed the important relationship between the University of Helsinki and Peking University, a key partner institution in China of the Finnish China Law Center.

Rector Kola also spoke at an event organized by the Beijing Alumni Club hosted by Finland’s Ambassador to China, Jarno Syrjälä.

The event organizer and Head of the China Alumni Board – Chen Yifeng, Assistant Professor of Law at Peking University – is also Docent of the University of Helsinki and a legal scholar of international renown who played a central role in establishing, and growing, the Finnish China Law Center.

Rector of the University of Helsinki Jukka Kola speaking with Professor Chen Yifeng of Peking University at the China Alumni Club event held at the residence of the Finnish Ambassador to China on 14 October 2017 (Photo credit: Helsingin yliopiston alumniyhdistys)

More about Professor Chen’s engagement and research in the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center can be found in the recently published Report on the First Four Years of the Center.

Sanna Villikka, acting Head of Administration of the Faculty of Medicine, was also part of the Rector Kola’s delegation.

Ms Villikka visited China in her former capacity as Senior Advisor in Research Funding Services at the University of Helsinki’s City Centre Campus. The purpose of her trip was to develop staff exchange between the University of Helsinki and Peking University, to further enhance the University of Helsinki’s relationship with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and to emphasize the high esteem with which the University of Helsinki views its relationship with the Faculty of Law of Peking University.

Another important visit to China was by then Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Kimmo Nuotio.

Professor Kimmo Nuotio of the University of Helsinki speaking at the CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (Photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Professor Nuotio joined the Annual Meeting of the Silk Road Law Schools Alliance hosted by Wuhan University.

The Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki is one of the founding members of the Alliance, which is composed of leading law schools from China and abroad.

The Annual Meeting has become a platform for law schools to meet and discuss academic research, collaboration and legal education.

Doctoral Candidate Kangle Zhang, contact person of the Alliance from the University of Helsinki, also joined the meeting.

Professor Kimmo Nuotio and Doctoral Candidate Zhang Kangle of the University of Helsinki with representatives from other institutions involved in the Silk Road Law Schools Alliance, at the Alliance’s annual meeting in November 2017 (Photo credit: Wuhan University)

Professor Nuotio was invited to give public lectures at universities across the country, including Peking University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Wuhan University, Shandong University, and Wuhan University of Technology.

Professor Nuotio also gave a presentation at the Chinese Academy of Social Science’s annual international Rule of Law conference in Beijing.

Held on 17–18 November, the theme of the 2017 conference was ‘Modes of Rule of Law and Modernization of State Governance’.

Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Helsinki, Sakari Melander, was similarly invited to present at the CASS Rule of Law conference, which doctoral candidate Zhang Kangle also attended.

Professor Sakari Melander of the University of Helsinki speaking at the CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

Professor Jukka Viljanen, of Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Tampere, was also invited to give a presentation at the conference.

Yet another senior scholar from the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki to visit China in late 2017 was Senior Lecturer and Adjunct Professor Dr Jarna Petman, who lectured on human rights at Peking University in October 2017.

In addition to her many academic and professional responsibilities, including serving as a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists, Professor Petman also visits and lectures at the prestigious Peking University Law School on a regular basis.

These visits have been supported by CIMO’s funding for the collaboration between Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights and Peking University’s Institute of International Law.

Senior Lecturer (att. to the duties of Professor) of the University of Helsinki / University of Turku and Sanna Villikka (University of Helsinki) in Beijing, October 2017 (Photo credit: Sanna Villikka)

The CIMO project, the result of an application made by Kangle Zhang, was jointly managed by several staff of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki prior to its conclusion at the end of 2017.

During its two years of operation, the project facilitated a range of successful activities that deepened collaboration between the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki and Peking University Law School.

The end of 2017 also saw a flurry of visits from China to Finland.

These inbound visits included two delegations in November alone.

The first of these, a large delegation of judges from the Chinese province of Yunnan, resulted in a productive seminar on comparative juvenile justice in Finland and China.

The second visit, by the leadership of Beihang University Law School, lead to the signing of a new MOU on legal research and education cooperation.

This new relationship has already borne fruit, with the announcement by Beihang University Law School of the establishment of its Nordic Law Center, the first of its kind in China.

2018 is shaping up to be even busier for the University of Helsinki and the Finnish China Law Center.

In addition to guest lectures, visiting speakers and other smaller-scale activities, the Center is hosting or co-organizing a number of international events.

These include a China Law Workshop (Helsinki, April – tbc), the 9th Bilateral Comparative Law Seminar (Beijng, August – tbc) with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the 6th China-Europe Legal Forum with the China Law Society (Helsinki, November – tbc).

Follow the Finnish China Law Center on Twitter (@ChinaLawCenter) and Facebook (@ChinaLawCenter) to keep up-to-date with the latest news, events, publications and other activities of the Center and its member institutions.

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Conference ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’, organized by Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, held on 12 January 2018

On 12 January 2018, the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, based in Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Helsinki, held a day-long conference ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’.

The international conference featured speakers from countries including China, Singapore, USA, Britain and Finland and discussed the life and choices of Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and recently deceased, that stood as an example of political and ethical activism in a world yearning for such examples.

Jean-Philippe Béja delivering his keynote address

Speeches during the event, which was organized by Professor Jan Klabbers and Post-Doctoral Researcher Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, evoked Liu Xiaobo’s experience, investigated its legacy and reflected on broader themes of China’s constitutional, rights, ethics and international relations thinking and practice.

 

The event’s keynote speech was given by Jean-Philippe Béja of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Centre de recherches internationales, who spoke on ‘Liu Xiaobo’s Legacy: Life in Truth, the Magic Weapon Against Post-Totalitarian Lie’.

Other speakers included Hermann Aubié (Aston University), who spoke on ‘Unlearning Enmity and Hatred: Listening to Liu Xiaobo’s Voice of Conscience by Revisiting his Struggle for Human Dignity and a Future Free China’ and Fu Hualing (University of Hong Kong), who spoke about public interest lawyering in China.

Professor Jan Klabbers speaking on ethical leadership in Helsinki, 12 January 2018

Professor Panu Minkkinen of the University of Helsinki spoke about the significance of human rights in the context of critical legal theory, after which Eva Pils (King’s College, London) discussed ‘China’s Dual State And Its ‘Enemies’ Under Xi Jinping’.

 

Professor Fu Hualing speaking during the ‘The Legacy of Liu Xiaobo’ conference in Helsinki, 12 January 2018

Professor Jan Klabbers of the University of Helsinki discussed ethical leadership, drawing upon his research on virtue ethics, and Post-Doctoral Researcher Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça’s (University of Helsinki) talk covered values and China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.

 

 

Presentations were also given by Associate Professor Michael W. Dowdle (National University of Singapore), Professor Ralph Weber (University of Basel) and Professor Justin Tiwald (San Francisco State University), and the morning and afternoon sessions were chaired respectively by Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Maria Varaki and Associate Professor Pamela Slotte.

 

Dr Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, an organizer of the event, speaking on values and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, University of Helsinki, 12 January 2018

 

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Professor Jukka Viljanen (University of Tampere) Gives Constitutional Law Presentation at CASS Rule of Law Conference in Beijing

In a further display of the growing links between legal scholars and institutions in China and the Nordic countries, Professor Jukka Viljanen of Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Tampere was invited to give a presentation during the annual Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) international Rule of Law conference.

The theme of the 2017 conference was ‘Modes of Rule of Law and Modernization of State Governance’.

The 2017 conference, held on 17–18 November in Beijing, was divided into five thematic areas.

Professor Viljanen spoke on the theme ‘The Rule of Law, Constitution and State Governance’.

In his lecture, Professor Viljanen discussed the Finnish experience on amending the constitution, noting that Finnish constitutional laws were extensively reformed in 1980-90’s.

This progress was illustrated by the drafting of the 2000 Constitution. The Constitution was planned to endure over time and as the Constitutional Law Committee has stated, there should not be constant demand to review the Constitution.

Professor Jukka Viljanen speaking at CASS Rule of Law Forum, Beijing, November 2017 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

Professor Viljanen outlined how the threshold to make changes to the constitution has increased. In order to make changes a wide societal consensus must be achieved. In Finnish political history, there has been a tradition of coalition governments and a requirement that approval by two parliaments, with general elections between them, is required. This ensures that all parties are involved in the drafting process of the Constitutional amendments.

‘The contemporary approach connects each review of the constitutional provisions to fundamental principles of the Constitution’, Professor Viljanen observed.

‘At the same time, it also highlights the need to follow our international human rights commitments’.

As Professor Viljanen explained, even in the case of surveillance laws, there are no ‘free hands’. Rather, national application of laws goes hand-in-hand with European supervision. The level of scrutiny is, of course, different in each specific circumstance.

A session during the CASS Rule of Law Conference, Beijing, 17–18 November 2018 (photo credit: Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

In his talk, Professor Viljanen also explained the pending process of amending the constitution in relation to surveillance laws, a ‘hot topic’ in Finland at the moment. The review was founded on the requirements set out by the European Convention on Human Rights.

‘National security as a legitimate aim traditionally affords a wide margin of appreciation to national authorities’, Professor Viljanen said.

‘However, there are also limits to this margin’.

In order to make the working proposal to be in line with the European case law, the failures that took place, for instance, in the Russian case of Roman Zakharov, serve as a telling reminder for the Finnish legislator.

‘This means that in addition to the textual re-formulation of the Constitution, the practice of the Constitutional Law Committee should follow closely the standards set out by the Strasbourg Court’, Professor Viljanen said.

‘The idea of the constitutional amendment is not to provide unrestricted mandate’, Professor Viljanen argued during his talk.

‘Rather, it is to seek a solution to questions regarding surveillance that are in accordance with European standards. This doctrinal link sets out certain detailed requirements that should be taken into account while preparing ordinary legislation regarding the surveillance’.

‘The Strasbourg Court’, Professor Viljanen said in closing, ‘acknowledges efforts to follow the established case law by stating that there needs to be “strong reasons” to substitute views of domestic authorities with its own views’.

Professor Viljanen was joined at the CASS Rule of Law Conference by Professor Kimmo Nuotio and Professor Sakari Melander, both from Finnish China Law Center member institution the University of Helsinki.

The international scope of the conference was reflected in the breadth of participants, with scholars in attendance from Peru, Russia, Italy, Poland, Brazil and other countries.