Hybrid Guest Lecture: Transnationalizing Labour Law: A Chinese Perspective

On 5 September 2023, Visiting Professor Yifeng Chen will give a hybrid guest lecture on ‘Transnationalizing Labour Law: A Chinese Perspective’. The event will be in hybrid (live & online) format.

Time:  5 September, 13:15 – 14:45 Finnish time

Venue: Zoom and Room P545, 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Faculty of Law), University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki

The event is free and open to all audiences. You can attend the seminar via Zoom or in person at Room P545 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki.

We kindly ask you to register by 4 September by completing the following electronic form:

https://www.lyyti.in/Transnationalizing_Labour_Law_A_Chinese_Perspective_9600 

Background of the presentation

Transnationalizing Labour Law: A Chinese Perspective

Transnationalization has been a visible trend of development in the regulation of labour conditions over the past two decades. Labour provisions can be found increasingly in free trade agreements, labor standards of international financial institutions, documents of corporate social responsibilities and so on. The transnationalizing of labour regulations has brought imminent challenges to the presumption of territoriality underlying national as well as international labour laws. The challenges are particularly acute in China where labour regulations are seen as domestic and thus irrelevant to its international policies. The presentation examines the development of transnational labour law and its impact on China. It further explores the potential role China may play in positively addressing the South-North gap in the current project of transnational labour law.

About the speakers

Yifeng Chen is an Associate Professor at the Peking University Law School and Deputy Director of the Peking University Institute of International Law. Before joining the Peking University, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki from 2010-2013. His fields of interest include international law, international organizations, international and comparative labour law.

 

The ILO 100th Anniversary Seminar of the University of Helsinki discusses also Chinese and Asian developments

The ILO 100th Anniversary Seminar – International Labour Standards Their Future Role in the Globalised World will be held on 18 September 2019 at the University of Helsinki.

This year marks the celebration of ILO Centenary. Participating in the worldwide anniversary, the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Law takes this as an opportunity to look at the achievements, future challenges and prospects of the ILO. The Seminar, thus, provides a platform for discussion on the roles, monitoring and enforcement of international labour standards as well as the implementation of labour rights in culturally diverse legal systems and regulatory frameworks. The seminar will also discuss the experience of China and other Asian countries with the ILO.

A list of speakers and further information can be found in the seminar programme.

The illumination of the ILO building projecting the visual identity celebrating the Centenary. © ILO / Crozet M.

The seminar is open to the public. Attendees are welcome to register  by 10 September 2019 via the electronic form.

Annual China Law Week Bridges Nordic Academic and Social Discussions on the Significance of Law in China and China’s Role in World Affairs

Nordic China Law Week 2018 was held between 17 – 23 April in Helsinki, Finland.

The week-long program included a China Law Research Workshop, seminars on China’s Belt and Road Initiative and people management in China, guest lectures on Chinese constitutional law and Chinese intellectual property law, a Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting and more.

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

‘The Finnish China Law Center and the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki were pleased to organize and host this annual event’, said Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center.

‘The Center is proud to contribute to an important academic and social discussion within the Nordic region about the role and significance of law in China, and China’s increasing involvement in global affairs’, Professor Liukkunen said.

For Professor Liukkunen, the strength of Nordic China Law Week 2018 lay in the breadth and relevance of themes covered, the wide appeal of events to both the public and private sectors, and the involvement of scholars and participants from China, the Nordic region and other countries.

Professor Cheng Dawei (Renmin University), speaking about trade governance of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative at the opening event of Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘That the events during the Week were so well-attended testifies to the fact that Nordic interest in Chinese law and the Chinese legal system continues to grow’, Professor Liukkunen said.

 

Acting Dean of Beijing Foreign Studies University Law School, Professor Yan Dong, visited Finland to speak during Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘I was particularly pleased at the diversity of participants during the Week. While the focus was primarily scholarly and academic, the organizers were careful to balance law, theory and concrete practice. This was important, including because of the Nordic business community’s deepening engagement with China’.

‘As Nordic China Law Week 2018 was organized to take account of both academic and practical perspectives, its events attracted participants not just from Nordic and Chinese academia, but also from legal practice, the Finnish corporate community – including entrepreneurs from Finland’s thriving startup scene, which is increasingly engaging with China – as well as participants from NGOs, international organizations, the media and the diplomatic community’.

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, speaking at the Nordic China Law Scholars Meeting during Nordic China Law Week 2018

‘For example, over 10 nationalities were represented among the more than 80 registered participants in the China Law Research Workshop. Startup founders, ambassadors, students, Finnish government representatives, leading Nordic scholars and representatives of multinational corporations discussed how to research and apply Chinese law, including the practicalities of doing field work and conducting business in China’, Professor Liukkunen said.

Assistant Professor Yan Tian (Peking University Law School) spoke on Chinese constitutional and labour law at events during Nordic China Law Week 2018

The Finnish China Law Center is thankful for the support provided by the University of Helsinki, one of the Center’s 10 member institutions.

‘The Center is grateful to Professor Jukka Kola, Rector of the University of Helsinki, for his support of Nordic China Law Week 2018, including through holding a Rector’s Reception after one of the Week’s flagship events, the China Law Research Workshop, hosted by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo’.

Left to right: Professor Carl Fey (Aalto University); Mr Peter Vesterbacka (entrepreneur and business figure); Professor Ulla Liukkunen (Finnish China Law Center / University of Helsinki); and Dr Wei Lu (Aalto University), speaking during a panel session at a seminar on people management China at Aalto University during Nordic China Law Week 2018

Nordic China Law Week was also supported by the Confucius Institute and Chinese Studies of the University of Helsinki.

A representative from online database provider CNKI (Tsinghua University) speaking at the Information Session on Online Chinese Legal Research in the University of Helsinki’s main library during Nordic China Law Week 2018

Summaries of the main events held during Nordic China Law Week 2018 can be found below.

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

More information about the Week, including media inquiries, can be directed to the Coordinator of the Center, Stuart Mooney, on stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi.

Details on the research agenda and activities of the Finnish China Law Center can be found in the book, Finnish China Law Center: Its First Four Years (2017).

NORDIC CHINA LAW WEEK 2018: SEMINAR ON PEOPLE MANAGEMENT LAW AND PRACTICE IN CHINA

To mark the end of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April), Aalto University and the Finnish China Law Center hosted a half-day seminar on ‘What People Management Practices Work Best in China Today? Cultural and Legal Perspectives’.

The seminar has held on Monday 23 April at the Aalto University School of Business.

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, speaking on fundamental labour rights and corporate social responsibility in China at the seminar on Contemporary People Management in China event at Aalto University on 23 April 2018.

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

Finnish business figure Peter Vesterbacka spoke on the relationship between education, business culture and employee engagement in China.

Presentations and ensuing discussions were had against a backdrop in which China is the second largest country in the world in terms of GDP and in light of ever-increasing entry of Finnish firms into the Chinese market.

A challenge facing Finnish firms, whether it be a smaller startup or larger multinational corporation, is that there are legal and cultural differences between Finland and China. These differences mean that many Finnish people and firms find it challenging to understand what management practices work best in China.

Professor Carl Fey of Aalto University spoke on the topic ‘ What Types of Organizational Culture Work Best in China?’ at the final event of Nordic China Law Week 2018.

The event highlighted how, as China’s economy continues to grow and diversify, new opportunities and challenges are emerging.

During her presentation on fundamental labour rights and corporate social responsibility in China, Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish Center of Chinese Law, outlined various legal considerations, including a range of Chinese labor laws based on international standards, that affect how businesses operating in China manage their workforce.

Dr Lu Wei of Aalto University, organizer of the event, also spoke on ‘Changing HRM Practices in China: Implications for Practitioners and Researchers’.

The event concluded with a panel discussion on ‘The Future of People Management in China: Educational, Political, Economic and Legal Considerations’, featuring all the seminar’s presenters.

Following the seminar was reception and networking event, during which Mr Vesterbacka and the other presenters discussed the themes of the event in more detail with participants.

The seminar was one of many events organized during Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April 2018), with others including:

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

 

 

 

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.

Guest lecture: How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System? YAN Tian, Peking University Law School: 18 April 2018

The Finnish China Law Center and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki are pleased to extend an invitation to a public lecture:

‘How Important is China’s Constitution in the Chinese Legal System?’

The guest lecture, part of Nordic China Law Week 2018 (17 – 23 April), will be given at 14:15 – 15:45 on Wednesday 18 April 2018 in the Meeting Room of the Faculty of Law (P545), 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki).

About the speaker

Assistant Professor YAN Tian is a scholar at the Peking University School of Law.

In addition to constitutional law, Assistant Professor Yan’s research interests include labour law and administrative law. He has published a monograph on employment discrimination law and several articles in the Chinese, English, and Korean languages.

Previously, Assistant Professor Yan served as Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Peking University Law School. In addition to Bachelor and Master degrees from Peking University, Assistant Professor Yan has J.S.D. and LL.M. degrees from the Law School of Yale University.

Assistant Professor Yan will also be speaking during the second China Law Research Workshop being organized by the Finnish China Law Center on Thursday 19 April 2018.

Assistant Professor YAN Tian, Peking University Law School

Further information

This event is free and open to the public. No prior registration is required.

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

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.