In the afternoon of April 21, CUPL and Doshisha University held a virtual signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement. President Ma Huaide of CUPL and President Tomoko Ueki of Doshisha University attended the event and delivered speeches. The ceremony was presided over by Vice President Shi Jianzhong of CUPL.
President Ma Huaide said that he was delighted to meet with President Tomoko Ueki online and to jointly witness the important moment of the establishment of the partnership between the two sides. Then, he introduced the history, disciplines and achievements of CUPL. He said that the university attached great importance to international cooperation, and international academic exchanges had not been interrupted even during the pandemic. In particular, Sino-foreign cooperative programs, like the China-EU School of Law co-established by the Chinese government and the European Union and the dual master's degree program with Washington University in St. Louis, have been developing in a healthy manner. In addition. cooperation with ten high-level universities, such as Osaka University, Tohoku University, and Nagoya University, had also made steady progress. President Ma expressed hope that CUPL and Doshisha University, which is one of Japan’s “top three private universities”, would take this opportunity and achieve practical results in cultivation of foreign-related legal professionals, teaching and research, as well as international exchanges.
Tomoko Ueki also expressed her delight to attend this event. She introduced the history, educational vision and international cooperation of Doshisha University. In particular, she pointed out that since the law school was established in 1891, legal education of Doshisha university continued to rank among the best in Japan. She was delighted to see the establishment of the cooperative relationship with the most prestigious Chinese institution of legal education and hoped that the two sides would carry out substantial cooperation. President Ueki also hoped that the Covid-19 pandemic would be contained as soon as possible and that the international exchanges and cooperation with CUPL and other Chinese universities would continue to develop.
Vice President Shi Jianzhong stated that the virtual signing ceremony between the two well-known universities in China and Japan during such a special period indicated that the two sides would launch more formal, closer, and promising cooperation and exchanges in the future. He hoped that the two sides would actively implement the cooperative agreement, bringing talent cultivation, education and research of the two sides to a higher level, and thus advancing the friendly cooperation between the two countries.
At the meeting, Prof. Kong Qingjiang, Dean of the School of International Law of CUPL, and Prof. Tamaka Kajiyama, Dean of the Graduate School of Law of Doshisha University, introduced their respective schools to the counterpart. Prof. Kong said that through the agreement signed today, the school would actively recommend outstanding students to study at Doshisha University for degrees and exchange programs, and students from Doshisha University are welcomed to come to CUPL for exchanges. He also hoped that both sides may further conduct academic exchanges in international law, e.g., response of international law to environmental changes and role of international law in regulating multilateral trade. Prof. Kajiyama said that despite the challenges brought by the pandemic to international cooperation, the two sides continued to promote cooperation and actively established the partnership. In recent years, by selecting partners in Asia, Europe and the United States, Doshisha University has made great efforts to cultivate foreign-related legal talents through dual-degree programs. She said that the signing of this agreement would further enhance Doshisha University’s capabilities in talent cultivation, teaching and research.
Finally, representatives of the two sides signed the "Academic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement" and the "Cooperation Project Agreement for Dual Degree of Law".
