Category: News

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UPCOMING GUEST LECTURE: SECURITIES REGULATION IN CHINA, PROF. XI CHAO, 21 AUGUST 2017

The Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki are pleased to announce a guest lecture by Professor Xi Chao, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong:

‘Biased Securities Regulators? Evidence from China’

TIME: 2 – 4pm, Monday August 21

PLACE: Law Faculty Meeting Room (P545), 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki).

The event is free of charge, open to everyone and no registration is needed.

Lecture overview

In the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, a much debated topic in the academic and policy discourse on securities regulation is whether securities regulators are sensitive to considerations beyond just the merits of the case. While the literature is growing in regard to securities enforcement in the United States, little is known as of yet about the determinants of enforcement actions taken by the primary regulators of the Chinese securities markets, the second largest in the world. This research draws on a unique, hand-collected dataset on all disclosed securities enforcement actions, both formal and informal, taken against securities violations by the Chinese securities regulators during the period from 1998 through 2016. It offers a glimpse into the intensity of securities enforcement actions, both market-level and firm-level, in China. It also sheds important light on the determinants of Chinese securities enforcement practices. It shows empirically that firms that are larger in size, firms that are controlled by the state, and firms that characterize with a higher level of political embeddedness, and firms that cooperate more closely with the securities regulators are less likely to be targeted and, when they are targeted, they are more likely to fare better. A somewhat counter-intuitive finding of this research is that a closer personal bond with the securities regulators are likely to reduce the severity of enforcement actions, but are unlikely to minimize the likelihood of being targeted in the first place.

This research has been supported by a General Research Fund (CUHK-452913) from the Hong Kong SAR Research Grants Council.

Biography of Professor Xi

Dr Xi is Professor and Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Fellow of the Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He specializes in comparative corporate law, securities regulation, and financial regulation, and has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed international journals. He is Professorial Research Associate of the SOAS China Institute, University of London, and a Board Member of the European China Law Studies Association.

Further information

For questions about this, and other events organized or facilitated by the Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Chinese Legal Culture, please contact Center Coordinator Stuart Mooney (stuart.mooney (at) helsinki.fi).

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8th Sino-Finnish Bilateral Seminar on Comparative Law, 28-29 August 2017 (Helsinki and Tampere)

The Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Legal Culture, the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere are proud to announce that the 8th Sino-Finnish Bilateral Seminar on Comparative Law will be held in Helsinki and Tampere on 28-29 August 2017.

The seminar brings together senior academics from China and Finland to discuss current legal issues. The seminar is held once a year, alternately in China and Finland.

All interested people are invited to attend. The seminar is free of charge. Further details, including a seminar program and an attendance registration form, are available at the seminar’s event page.

We warmly welcome participation and look forward to fruitful and rewarding sharing of perspectives on topical and important legal issues of mutual concern.

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8th Sino-Finnish Bilateral Seminar on Comparative Law: 28-29 August (Helsinki and Tampere)

The Finnish Center of Chinese Law and Legal Culture, the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere are proud to announce that the 8th Sino-Finnish Bilateral Seminar on Comparative Law will be held in Helsinki and Tampere on 28-29 August 2017.

The seminar brings together senior academics from China and Finland to discuss current legal issues. It is held once a year and the location alternates between China and Finland.

Day 1 of the seminar will begin with registration between 8:30–9:15 at the University of Helsinki (Hall 1, Metsätalo, Unioninkatu 40, Helsinki).

Day 2 of the seminar will be held in Tampere, and will begin with registration between 9:30–10:00 at the University of Tampere (Arvo Hall F025 (“Yellow Hall”), Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, Tampere). The precise location of the venue can also be found in this Tampere University campus map (‘Arvo-Rakennus, building number 8’).

The full program (pdf) of the event is as follows:

Monday, 28 August 2017

University of Helsinki

Hall 1, Metsätalo, Unioninkatu 40, Helsinki

8:30–9:15      Registration

9:15–9:45      Opening Ceremony

Professor Kimmo Nuotio, Dean of the University of Helsinki Faculty of Law, Chair of the Board of the China Law Center

Professor Li Lin, Director of Institute of Law, CASS

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, University of Helsinki, Director of the China Law Center

9:45–11:30    Session I: Developments in Child Law

Chairs:
Associate Professor Wang Xiaomei, Institute of Law, CASS
Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr. Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca, University of Helsinki

Associate Professor Suvianna Hakalehto, University of Eastern Finland: Children’s Rights at School in the Nordic Countries

Professor Xie Zengyi, Institute of Law, CASS: How to Respond to the Two Child Policy – From the Perspective of Labor and Social Security Law

Commentator: University Lecturer Dr. Niina Mäntylä, University of Vaasa

Discussion

11:30–13:00  Lunch

13:00–14:30  Session II: Recent Developments in Transport Law

Chairs:
Professor Xie Zengyi, Institute of Law, CASS
Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, University of Helsinki

Professor Ellen Eftestöl-Wilhelmsson, University of Helsinki: A Sustainable Transport Industry – the Role of Environmental Information

Associate Professor Li Zhong, Institute of Law, CASS: Recent Developments in Transport Law in China

Commentator: Professor Lena Sisula-Tulokas, University of Helsinki

Discussion

14:30–15:00    Tea and coffee

15:00–16:30    Session III: Public Procurement

Chairs:
Professor Li Honglei, Institute of Law, CASS
Professor Juha Raitio, University of Helsinki

University Lecturer Dr Kristian Siikavirta, University of Vaasa: European and Finnish Public Procurement System and Experience

Associate Professor Wang Xiaomei, Institute of Law, CASS: Empirical Study on Transparency in Public Procurement in China: Institution, Current Situation and Prospects

Commentator: Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr. Zhang Yihong, University of Helsinki

Discussion

16:30             Closing of the first day



Tuesday, 29 August 2017

University of Tampere

Arvo Hall F025 (“Yellow Hall”), Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, Tampere

9:30–10:00    Registration

10:00–10:15  Opening of the second day

Professor Li Lin, Director of Institute of Law, CASS

Professor Antti Lönnqvist, Dean of the Faculty of Management, University of Tampere

10:15–11:30  Session IV: Developments of Environmental Law

Chairs:
Associate Professor Jin Shanming, Institute of Law, CASS
University Lecturer Dr. Matti Urpilainen, University of Tampere

Professor Antti Belinskij, University of Eastern Finland: International Water Conventions and Finnish-Russian Cooperation

Professor Li Honglei, Institute of Law, CASS: Judicial Review of Environmental Impact Assessment Decision-making in China

Commentator: Senior Researcher Dr. Yulia Yamineva, University of Eastern Finland

Discussion

11:30–12:45   Lunch

12:45–14:30  Session V: Environmental Rights in the Constitution

Chairs:
Professor Ida Koivisto, University of Tampere
Associate Professor Li Zhong, Institute of Law, CASS

Adjunct Professor and University Lecturer Jukka Viljanen, University of Tampere: The Environmental Constitutional Right in Finland: Achievements, Problems and Prospects

Associate Professor Jin Shanming, Institute of Law, CASS: The Constitutional Protection of Environmental Right and its Reflections in China

University Teacher Heta Heiskanen, University of Tampere: International Human Rights Obligations Contributing to Finnish Environmental Rights

Commentator: Post-Doctoral Researcher Sanna Kopra, University of Lapland

Discussion

14:30–15:00   Tea and coffee

15:00–16:00 Closing Ceremony

Professor Li Lin, Director of Institute of Law, CASS

Professor Ulla Liukkunen, University of Helsinki, Director of the China Law Center

Adjunct Professor and University Lecturer Jukka Viljanen, University of Tampere

End of seminar.

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Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences visits the China Law Center

A delegation from the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) visited the Finnish China Law Center on June 21, 2017. Kimmo Nuotio, the Dean of the Helsinki University, Faculty of Law and Chair of the Center’s Board, and Ellen Eftestöl-Wilhelmsson, Professor of Civil and Commercial Law at the University of Helsinki, hosted the delegation together with the Center’s staff.

Being the first visit by SASS to the China Law Center and the University of Helsinki, the purpose of the visit was mainly to develop mutual understanding and talk about potential future cooperation. Mr. Hou Shuiping, President and Professor of SASS, introduced SASS, a research institute and a highly influential think tank in Sichuan province, and its main areas of research. Mr. Hou then expressed interest in exploring research cooperation in the areas of trade, transportation, education and technology with the Helsinki side.

Dean Nuotio gave a brief introduction about the China Law Center and the University of Helsinki and its China connection. He also touched upon the China’s Silk Road initiative that Mr. Hou also mentioned earlier, noting that the University of Helsinki, Faculty of law was one of the founding members of the recently launched New Silk Road Law Schools Alliance.

Prof. Eftestöl-Wilhelmsson then introduced her area of expertise. Her most recent research, as a part of InterTran Research Group for Sustainable Business and Law at the University of Helsinki, is in the field transportation – more specifically, the sustainability of transportation in Europe. Both sides expressed interest in exploring the Sino-Finnish and Sino-European aspect and research cooperation on this topic.

Mr. Hou presenting a research publication by SASS to Dean Kimmo and Prof. Eftestöl-Wilhelmsson.

The visit was a successful beginning to develop further cooperation between the two sides. Each side gained deeper knowledge about the other, and many points of mutual interest were found. After the visit to the University of Helsinki and the China Law Center, the SASS delegation continued to explore the beautiful sights of the Helsinki city centre.

Author: Cristina D. Juola

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Articles from the Finnish-Chinese Colloquium on Criminal Law now available online!

Articles from the Symposium on Finnish and Chinese Criminal Law in Comparative Perspective (Finnish-Chinese Colloquium on Criminal Law) published by Peking University Law Journal are now available online!

In August 2016, the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law hosted the First Finnish-Chinese Colloquium on Criminal Law on through the PKU-Helsinki Law Connection, a partnership between Peking University Law School and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law.

The topics presented at the Colloquium were compiled into research papers, which the Peking University Law Journal has now published. You can view the available articles by following the links below:

Speakers at the First Finnish-Chinese Colloquium on Criminal Law in August 2016.

The Second Colloquium on Finnish and Chinese Criminal Law is expected to be held in late August 2018.

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Prof. Liu Zuoxiang holds a lecture on “The Relationship between Party Regulations and National Law” at the Center

Professor Liu Zuoxiang, Director of the Institute of Rule of Law and Human Rights at Shanghai Normal University, College of Philosophy, Law and Political Science, held a lecture titled “The Relationship between Party Regulations and National Law” at the China Law Center on May 30, 2017. After Prof. Liu’s lecture, Zhang Kangle, doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law and research fellow at Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights, commented on Prof. Liu’s research.

Zhang Kangle (left), Prof. Liu Zuoxiang, Ulla Liukkunen, Director of the Center, and Kimmo Nuotio, Dean of the UH Faculty of Law (right) after the lecture. Prof. Liu presented his latest publication and donated the book, together with his other works, to the Center’s library.

Currently, there is an ongoing academic debate in China on whether or party regulations applied to the members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may be considered national laws. Some scholars have argued that party regulations are in effect national laws. In his presentation, Prof. Liu demonstrated how party regulations and national laws are distinct from one another.

In a country run by the rule of law, the political party is not a legislative body – national laws must be based on the Constitution. The regulations or “norms” assumed by the party for its members cannot therefore be regarded as binding laws on the whole population. The role of the party is to ensure that its ideals, beliefs and aims are realized, enabled through self-discipline and strict administration of its members. Party rules are therefore applied only to party members in order to restrict their behaviour and ensure the members’ commitment to party ideals. The national law, on the other hand, is the basis of conduct for all citizens and embodies the will of the country, and therefore cannot be as strict and ideals-based as the rules for party members.

Yet, party rules can also be made into laws through a legislative process. Indeed, much of the regulations of the CCP have actually become national law, which may be the source of confusion between the two. Since the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s, the CCP has been the main organ to pass laws. However, all laws passed by the party must first go through the National People’s Congress. Such power dynamics demonstrates that while being the organ to exercise state power, the party is still constrained by the Constitution, the will of the people and the rule of law.

Even though there are clear distinctions between party regulations and national law, there is still much confusion around the topic. One solution, proposed by a government official, is to apply a model of two governance systems, one for the party and another for the country. The two-system solution would clarify the application of party regulations and national laws and improve the party’s capacity to govern the country. Yet, challenges considering such an approach have arisen – for instance, whether party regulations should be applied over national law or vice versa, or whether or not the violation of party regulations, if not considered as legal code, should be punishable by law.

The distinction of party regulations and national law is a very timely topic, and Prof. Liu’s attempt to shed light on the ongoing debate in China was fascinating indeed. The development of the relationship between party regulations and national law will be interesting to follow, and is an issue that China watchers, researchers and those interested in the rule of law development in China should keep an eye on.

Author: Cristina D. Juola

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Book donation by Prof. Shen Wei: Shadow Banking in China

Prof. Shen Wei, Dean and Professor of Law at Shandong University Law School, donated his latest book, Shadow Baking in China: Risk, Regulation and Policy (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016), to the Center’s Library during his visit to the Center. He also gave a lecture on arbitral awards enforcement in China during his stay (read the summary of the lecture here).

Shadow Baking in China: Risk, Regulation and Policy by Prof. Shen is a timely publication. China’s shadow banking sector is about one third the size of China’s bank-lending market, and its continuing growth presents a challenge to both domestic and global financial stability in the long term. In his book, Prof. Shen defines the concept of shadow-banking, breaks it down into sub-sectors, and discusses the development of each, including wealth management products, peer-to-peer lending, local government financing vehicles, and underground lending. The book examines the driving market forces behind the sector’s growth, exploring the risk-taking dynamics, economic incentives and behavioural aspects. Prof. Shen also presents the formal state frameworks, including central and monetary policy and the supporting structures, and discusses the role, opportunities and regulation of shadow banking in the overall economy.

Prof. Shen’s book Shadow Baking in China: Risk, Regulation and Policy is now available at the China Law Center’s Library.

Prof. Shen Wei with Kimmo Nuotio, Dean of the UH Faculty of Law and Chair of the China Law Center Board.

Prof. Shen Wei, Dean and Professor of Law at Shandong University Law School and KoGuan Chair Professor of Law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University Law School, and Global Professor of Law at New York University Law School. Prof. Shen has a career as a long-time law practitioner, focusing on FDI, private equity and M&As. He has studied abroad and holds multiple Master’s degrees in law and a PhD from London School of Economics. He has published over 130 articles in English and Chinese and is the author of multiple books in his field. Prof. Shen is an arbitrator with Hong Kong International Arbitration Commission, Shanghai International Arbitration Centre, Shanghai Arbitration Commission, Shenzhen International Court of Arbitration, and is a member of the Moody’s China Academic Advisory panel as well as the Financial Markets Law Committee’s G20 Steering Group.

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New books at the Center’s Library!

The Center has recently received multiple book donations from the CASS delegation as well as individual authors who have paid a visit to the Center. The books include titles on various topics in the judicial sphere, including IP, employment, arbitration, rule of law theory, criminal law, death penalty and history of Chinese legal philosophy.

The books have been taken to the Center’s Library for registration and will be available for consultation shortly. You can browse all the available books online at or pay a visit to the Library!

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Prof. Shen Wei, Dean of the Shangdong University Law School, visits the China Law Center

Director Ulla Liukkunen with Prof. Shen Wei.

The China Law Center hosted Prof. Shen Wei, Dean of Shangdong University Law School, during his visit to Finland. During his stay, Prof. Shen met with the Dean of the Helsinki University Faculty of Law, Kimmo Nuotio, and the director of the China Law School, Ulla Liukkunen to discuss collaboration opportunities between Shangdong University Law School and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law. He also presented his research paper titled “Entanglement between Judicial Centralization and Local Protectionism in China: the Case of Arbitral Awards Enforcement” at the Center.

Student dormitories at the new Qingdao campus.

Shangdong University Law School, ranked 13th of over 700 law schools in China, will open its new campus in autumn 2017 in Qingdao, a small half-island between Beijing and Shanghai. Qingdao is a student-friendly area, famous for its long beaches, good beer, beautiful scenery and historical sights. The new campus, alongside the seashore of Aoshan Bay and the coastal highway, is a modern mix of Chinese and western building styles, with incorporated elements from the German colonial architecture in Qingdao. In addition to brand-new university buildings, student dormitories and convenient public transport connections right outside the university area, the campus will operate its own arts museum and a beautiful sports complex.

Qingdao campus arts museum.

 

Prof. Shen is looking forward to start as the Dean of the Law School at the new location, and believes the opening of the new campus at Qingdao presents a good opportunity for new cooperation initiatives. Until now, cooperation between the Shangdong University Law School, the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law and the China Law Center has been built on lecture exchanges and participation in each other’s research seminars. At his visit to the Center, Prof. Shen discussed the continuation of such cooperation with Director Liukkunen, and introduced ideas for new forms of cooperation. During his meeting with Dean Nuotio, the two deans discussed further possibilities of student exchanges between the two universities.

Qingdao campus sports complex.

In an interview with the China Law Center, Prof. Shen shed light on the reasoning behind his wish to see Chinese students in Finland. “If you look outside,” Prof. Shen says, pointing to the beautiful view in the city centre of Helsinki, “it is very impressive. If Chinese students could be here for one semester and get exposed to a different legal culture, and different culture in general, they would benefit them in terms of shaping their vision for their future career and development.” The legal system in Nordic countries has raised interest in China for its emphasis on human rights protection, which is quite different from the Chinese legal culture that focuses more on collective action and collective interest. “It will be very interesting for our students to have exposure in Nordic countries. It will be good for them to spend a semester here, especially since human rights protection is one of the areas of expertise our faculty as well.”

Prof. Shen himself is an expert of business law, yet he views human rights protection as an all-encompassing topic in the field of law. “Not only human rights law is relevant to rights protection. Property rights protection, commercial rights protection, even enforcement of arbitral awards – all is relevant to rights protection.” The paper he will present at the Center is on enforcement of arbitral awards in China. “Investors who come to do business in China don’t expect the legal competence, transparency and functionality from Chinese courts that they do from courts in other countries. They prefer to resolve disputes with local parties through arbitration instead of relying on the court system.” Through arbitration, foreign parties are likely to get a favourable outcome. However, as local parties lack the willingness to enforce the arbitration awards voluntarily, foreign parties still need to rely on Chinese courts for enforcement. “In the end, foreign parties still rely on Chinese courts for human rights protection. So even though we are discussing commercial arbitration and enforcement of arbitral awards, the substantial issue is still about rights protection.”

Prof. Shen is a long-time expert in his field. He has over 10 years of experience as a law practitioner and has published widely on legal topics, including financial regulation, corporate governance, international investment law and commercial arbitration. He has held multiple professorships in various universities, including ones based in Shangdong and Hong Kong in China, as well as in Singapore and New York, and currently works as the Dean of the Shangdong University Law School. Even after the shift to academia, Prof. Shen’s experiences in Hong Kong’s law firms have left their mark, and continue to influence his vision for the future. “The most memorable thing in the private sector law firms was professionalism. People act and behave professionally, which is exactly what we are trying to teach our students.”

 

Author: Cristina D. Juola

Photos of the campus: Shangdong University Law School pamphlet.

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Prof. Liu Zuoxiang on “Chinese Structure of Social Order in a Period of Transformation”

Director of the Institute of Rule of Law and Human Rights at Shanghai Normal University, College of Philosophy, Law and Political Sciences, Professor Liu Zuoxiang held a lecture on “Chinese Structure of Social Order in a Period of Transformation” at the Finnish China Law Center on May 17, 2017. The lecture was followed by questions and comments by the discussants Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Erik Castrén Institute, University of Helsinki, and Kangle Zhang, Research Fellow at the Erik Castrén Institute, University of Helsinki, who also worked as a translator during the lecture and discussion. After the lecture and initial comments, the audience posed questions and comments and engaged in a lively discussion.

Zhang Kangle (left), Prof. Liu (middle) and Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca (right).

In his lecture, Prof. Liu introduced the traditional social order that has developed in China and compared it to the contemporary one. The traditional Chinese social order was based on the “rule of Li” as opposed to the “rule of law” that exists in the contemporary society. Prof. Fei Xiaotong, a scholar on Chinese social order in the 1940s, described “Li” as a “generally acknowledged and harmonious pattern of behaviour”. The “rule of Li order”, therefore, is one based on traditions and commonly accepted norms, which are not enforced in a top-down manner but by the society itself. Citizens obey the accumulated traditions and social norms out of respect towards the society and to cultivate their moral character and self-constraint. In contrast, a “rule of law order” is maintained by political and state power and is enforced by rules and punishments.

The traditional patriarchal and clan system in China’s rural areas functioned as a source of normative control and unifying force within the community. The clan system was efficient at dealing with issues related to relationships within the clan, in matters related to marriage, property, funerals and the like, and acted as a supportive system to the official state order. However, as the example of Nancun village in Guangdong province demonstrates, patriarchal formations began to break down as a result of rural reforms and the elimination of landlords after 1949. During the second wave of reforms in 1979, state control became more lenient. Some forms of nongovernmental organization re-emerged, but failed to achieve their former authoritative position. Economic conditions improved, the village underwent urbanization, and incentives for social grassroots organization independent of state administration decreased.

Yet, China is still undergoing a transformation from a traditional society and the “rule of Li” to a modern society and the “rule of law”. The case of Nancun village is an example of how traditional order of patriarchal rule and the “rule of Li order” has been replaced by a modern social system, where state power and the rule of law have become the dominant guide for maintaining social order. Indeed, on the institutional level, the contemporary Chinese society has the elements of a modern, “rule of law” state. However, the actual social order has still elements of the “rule of Li” embedded in it, especially in rural areas, where transformation is still taking place. Prof. Li characterizes the current state of the Chinese society as a “pluralistically mixed order”, where order is maintained by the “rule of law” mixed with “rule of Li”, as well as other elements of the traditional Chinese society, such as order based on patriarchy, “rule of virtue” and the “rule of man”. The relationships between people have experienced transformations, but still contain elements of formal and informal ideas of social order.

The coexistence of modern and traditional practices within the contemporary Chinese society point out the complexity of defining the societal structure in explicit terms. The contemporary Chinese society is transforming towards a “rule of law order” and at the same time hold elements of the traditional Chinese order, which makes the current Chinese society pluralistic in nature. Elevated economic wellbeing has replaced tradition and patriarchal relationships as a measure of social standard, a trend further enforced by outside influences amongst the younger generation. However, the traditional order still lies at the basis of the contemporary one, and continues to have a strong influence on it.

Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaca questioning whether a state has the capability to choose its model of social order or whether one naturally emerges from the reality on the ground. Photo by Zhao Yajie.

Professor Liu Zuoxiang is the Director of the Institute of Rule of Law and Human Rights, Shanghai Normal University, College of Philosophy, Law and Political Sciences. He is also the Vice director of Jurisprudence Institute of Chinese Law Society; Member of branch of Chinese IVR.

Author: Cristina D. Juola

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Mirva Lohiniva-Kerkelä holds lectures at Renmin and Fudan in China

Mirva Lohiniva-Kerkelä, Vice Dean of the University of Lapland, Faculty of Law and Associate Professor in Welfare Law, held two lectures on the Finnish model of welfare state during her visit to China in March 2017. Lohiniva-Kerkelä visited Renmin University in Beijing and Fudan University in Shanghai. During both visits, the parties discussed further developing cooperation between the Universities.

The first lecture was held at Renmin University in Beijing, where Lohiniva-Kerkelä was hosted by Professor of Civil and Commercial Law at Renmin Law School, Li Jianfei. The lecture was held on March 28, 2017, on the topic “Fulfilling Social Rights – The Development of Welfare Law in Finland,” in which Lohiniva-Kerkelä discussed Finland’s role as a Nordic welfare state. In the Nordic welfare state model, the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the social and economic well-being of its citizens.  Lohiniva-Kerkelä presented methods used in Finland to guarantee the fundamental human rights of citizens, using instruments such as international treaties, national constitutions, and legislation.

Prof. Lohiniva-Kerkelä and Prof. Li with a class of students at Renmin University.

On March 30, 2017, Lohiniva-Kerkelä held her second lecture at the Fudan University in Shanghai, where she was hosted by the Associate Professor of Law at Fudan University School of Law, Lu Zhian. The lecture was titled “Welfare Law and Human Rights,” and circled around the same questions – methods of ensuring basic rights to the population in a welfare state. The lectures at both universities were held to a group of doctoral and post-graduate students. During both lectures, students were eager to engage in a lively discussion on the subject.

Mirva Lohiniva-Kerkelä is one of Finland’s leading experts in social and health care law, widely welfare law. Her expertise covers especially issues of health care rights and the respective responsibilities of the state authorities and professionals in guaranteeing access to health care.