Visit to Finnish China Law Center by Professor Lin Ka, Zhejiang University

On 7 September the Finnish China Law Center welcomed a visiting group from Zhejiang University, China. The group was headed by Lin Ka, Professor Social Policy and Social Work, and the group’s visit to the Finnish China Law Center was hosted by its Director, Professor Ulla Liukkunen.

This visit was something of a homecoming for Professor Lin, who lived in Finland and worked as a Doctoral Researcher (1994-1999) and Research Fellow (1999-2002) in one of the Finnish China Law Center’s member institutions, the University of Tampere. Later, Professor Lin worked as a Senior Researcher (2003-2006) in the University of Turku, another of the Center’s member institutions.

Professor Liukkunen, Director of the Finnish China Law Center, with Professor Lin, Zhejiang University

During the group’s visit, Professors Lin and Liukkunen discussed a wide range of legal topics including the value of conducting comparative law between China and the Nordic states, recent developments in Chinese labour and social security law, and the increased interest in Chinese academic and policy circles about the Nordic welfare model.

Professors Liukkunen and Lin also discussed concrete ways to strengthen the relationship between Zhejiang University and the Finnish China Law Center and its member institutions.

In recognition of the delegation’s visit, Professor Liukkunen presented gifts of two publications made as a result of the Finnish China Law Center’s work: Ulla Liukkunen and Chen Yifeng (eds), ‘China and ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work’ (Kluwer Law International 2014) and Ulla Liukkunen and Chen Yifeng (eds), ‘Fundamental Labour Rights in China – Legal Implementation and Cultural Logic’ (Springer 2016).

Professor Lin with visiting students, Zhejiang University outside the Law Faculty, University of Helsinki

Zhejiang University, one of China’s leading research and education institutions, has relationships with a number of Finnish China Law Center member institutions. These include a mobility agreement between the Zhejiang University School of Management and the Hanken School of Economics and an institutional partnership with the University of Turku. More information about Zhejiang University’s relationship with the Center’s member institutions can be found in the Center’s recent report.

During its visit, the delegation was also hosted by the University of Helsinki’s Confucius Institute and its Director, Professor Julie Yu-Wen Chen.