Congratulations to Renmin University of China School of Law on its 70th anniversary
UiB's strategic partner Renmin University of China School of Law is celebrating their 70th anniversary by hosting the 3rd International Forum for Law School Deans and Jurists. Here you can watch Dean Søvig's speech at the digital anniversary conference.
Karl Harald Soevig - Renmin's 3rd International Forum of Law School Deans and Jurists
Hovedinnhold
The topic of today's Forum is Challenges and Opportunities facing the World’s Legal Education in the Period of Civilization in Transition. In his speech, Dean Søvig highlights climate change and the need for a green shift as a global challenge.
The need for good law making
- The legal profession can play an important role in helping to find solutions by good law making. Jurists will be key to solving the climate and energy issues by regulating and limiting pollution through law, and also key to securing sustainable and just use of natural resources by legal regulations. Through legal education we must hence teach students not only to interpret laws, but also to make good laws.
Dean Søvig ends his speech by saying:
- I think that the most important challenge for the legal education in the period of societies in transition is to educate legal professionals equipped to maintain democracy and the rule of law. To achieve this, we need discussions as the one we have just now, between academics and leaders of law schools.
Jurists will be key to solving the climate and energy issues by regulating and limiting pollution through law, and also key to securing sustainable and just use of natural resources by legal regulations.
10 years of cooperation
The anniversary also marks the ten-year anniversary of a very fruitful relationship between Renmin Law School and Bergen Faculty of Law. An invitation to the 2nd International Forum for Law School Deans on Renmin Law's 60th anniversary was the beginning of the frutiful cooperation between Renmin and Bergen.
The relationship has led to various activities such as exchange of several students, a summer school in Bergen and participation by Bergen students in Renmin’s Chinese Law Summer Programme, exchange of faculty for teaching, a biannual round-table conference for PhD-students, joint seminars and a joint conference on the Role of Courts in Evolving Societies.
- A wonderful alternative
Dean Søvig has visited Beijing every year during almost a decade, first as a Professor and later as the Dean. Covid-19 put a stop to this year's visit to Beijing, and also the 70th anniversary forum had to be held online.
- Given the circumstances, meeting online like we did today is a wonderful alternative. Even under the pandemic, Renmin Law School shows itself as a true facilitator and promoter of educational exchange, says Dean Søvig.
