Questions about the application process or deadline be directed to Ms YAO Wenting and Mr YUAN Guohua. Telephone: +86-27- 87166636. Email: fstudent (at) whut.edu.cn and yaowenting (at) whut.edu.cn.
‘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’.
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.
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:
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.
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)
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.
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 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:
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.
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
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.
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 isa 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.
‘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.
‘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:
13:00Welcome 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
14:35What 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.
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.
‘Latest Developments in Chinese Intellectual Property Law’
The guest lecture will be given at 10:15 – 11:45 on Wednesday 18 April 2018 in the Meeting Room of the Faculty of Law (P545), 5th floor of the Porthania Building (Yliopistonkatu 3, Helsinki).
Professor Jin’s research covers various aspects of intellectual property legal theory and practice, including broad issues such as IP as private rights and IP and social development, and specific issues such as copyright fair use, trademark consumer surveys and compulsory patent licenses.
Professor Jin, Remnin 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.
On Tuesday 10 April 2018, Professor Kjeld Erik Brødsgaard (柏思德) of the Department of International Economics and Management and Director of the China Studies Program at Copenhagen Business School, hosted a seminar on:
State-Owned Enterprise Reform and Party-Business Relations in China
Chinese business groups have grown into huge enterprises with significant economic and political clout. As a result of institutional reform, corporate restructuring, and listings in China and abroad, these business groups, especially within the energy sector, have become so big, profitable and well-connected that they are challenging the authority of the central government. Yet, increasingly, business leaders are appointed to government positions as ministers or provincial governors.
What is the mechanism of this elite circulation and how does it impact the power relations between Party-state- business in China as well as the likelihood of fundamental state-owned enteprise (SOE) reform?
The seminar advanced the notion of ‘fragmented integration’ to characterize the evolving relationship between business groups and the Party-state.
The seminar also argued that in order to abolish vested interests and interest politics, reform of the role, function, and organization of Chinese business groups is necessary.
Professor Kjeld Erik Brødsgaard, Department of International Economics and Management and Director of the China Studies Program, Copenhagen Business School
Professor Brødsgaard is the author or editor of 30 books, most recently Chinese Politics as Fragmented Authoritarianism: Earthquakes, Energy and Environment (2016); From Accelerated Accumulation to Socialist Market Economy in China: Economic Discourse andDevelopment From 1953 to the Present (2017) and Critical Readings on the Chinese Communist Party, 4 vols. (2017).
Professor Brødsgaard has held visiting research appointments in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and the USA. He is, among others, member of the International Advisory Board of the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore; member of the Board of Sino-Danish University Centre for Education and Research, and member of the Board of Directors, the Danish-Chinese Business Forum. He is also a Non-resident Professor at the Institute of Public Policy, South China University of Technology; an Honorary Research Fellow at the Research Centre for Contemporary China, School of Government, Peking University.
Yajie Zhao (left) presenting her thesis on 23 March 2018 in the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki. Also pictured are Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Law (middle) and Professor Li Mingde of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (right).
During her presentation, Ms Zhao discussed the evolution of Chinese intellectual property (IP) mechanisms as China progressed on its national development and transition to becoming a ‘well-developed country’. Ms Zhao approached her subject from the perspective of (IP), with a special focus on the People’s Republic of China since 1949.
Professor Li Mingde (left), Yajie Zhao (middle) and Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo (right).
Professor Li Mingde strongly recommended that Ms Zhao’s doctoral thesis be accepted. In his comments, he praised Ms Zhao’s thesis on its scope and originality. During a long discussion with Ms Zhao, Professor Li asked many probing questions not only about Ms Zhao’s thesis but more broadly about the current state of Chinese IP law, the challenges facing China’s IP system and the enforcement of IP rights, the roles of administrative and judicial IP right enforcement, and the prospects for its future development.
In her closing comments, Ms Zhao thanked those who have supported her during her thesis, including her thesis supervisor Professor Niklas Bruun (University of Helsinki / Hanken School of Economics).
Ms Zhao’s list of publications, lectures, other academic activities and full CV can be found on the website of University of Helsinki.
Professor Li Mingde (left), Yajie Zhao (middle) and Professor Niklas Bruun (right).
Thesis abstract
This thesis explores the evolution of Chinese IP mechanisms during national development and transition to becoming a well-developed country. This subject is studied from the perspective of intellectual property (IP), with a special focus on the People’s Republic of China since 1949.
Internationally, the Chinese State, as a late-developing country, has adopted various mechanisms to narrow its gap in income and in technological capability in relation to developed countries. Meanwhile, internally, China itself is going through a crucial stage of social transition, and switching its economic model from labour-intensive mode to high-tech and innovation-intensive mode. During China’s international ‘catch-up’ process, and its own social transition, the role of IP has constantly changed.
This research on China’s IP covers a period of the late Qing Dynasty until early June 2017, especially focusing on the period after 1949 and the modern Chinese IP system since its Reform and Opening-up Policy in 1979. The reviewed literature covers: (1) Chinese IP-related legislation and policies; (2) the domestic and international academic IP studies; (3) research reports from international organizations; (4) central reports from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, other reports and speeches from the central government with a historical period start from 1933; and (5) IP-related annual reports and statistics from the State Intellectual Property Office and the various levels of the people’s court.
This thesis combines the narrative approach of Chinese IP studies, law in context, and historical perspective, and specifically studies the question: ‘what is the IP system’s role in the catch-up process of China?’ The main research question is divided into sub questions: How does the development of the IP system and the national Science and Technology (S&T) integrate with each other (Chapter 2)? How is the IP system absorbed into Chinese society? The absorption of an IP system is explored via two aspects: one imperative aspect is the evolution of IP system from the perspective of enforcement (Chapter 3); and the other is how the IP system from the state level involved has impacted on the Chinese business players (Chapter 4). The manuscript concludes: Even though external pressures played an undeniable role during Chinese IP development, which can chase back to the 19th Century, China has been constantly advancing its IP system and its implementation mainly because of its internal and developmental needs since 1949 (Chapter 5).
The outcome of this thesis summarises the three decades of Chinese modern IP development and its enforcement in the following way: an advanced legislation system that goes along with the international standards, an enforcement system with Chinese characteristics, and an administrative system for registration and examination focusing mainly on the domestic industries yet taking international practices as reference. China’s adjustments of the IP policies are ultimately determined by the overall objectives for catching up and building an innovative country. China updates its IP system strictly in line with its level of national S&T development. Based on the internal and international conditions, it is a selected development model from China’s side to emphasize IP reform and modernization.
Cover of Doctoral Researcher Yajie Zhao’s published thesis.
Professor Li Mingde, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Photo credit: http://www.iolaw.org.cn)
Professor Li, from the Intellectual Property Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), is a leading expert on IP law. In his presentation he discussed the latest developments in the reform of Chinese copyright law as well as recent developments in other fields of IP. The experience from the specialized IP Courts and the background of the recently established new IP Courts in Shenzhen and Xi’an was also addressed. Finally, Professor Li discussed the reform of the administration on IP-related issues, including the changes of the role of the Chinese SIPO.
University of Helsinki
