Global law school rankings

  In September 5th, the British university ranking mechanism QS Top Universities announced the launch of the world's top 100 law school rankings, Tsinghua law school ranked 45, is only the list of China continental law school. The top 50 Asian School of law and National University of Singapore and University of Hong Kong School of law.Http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011/subject-rankings/social-sciences/law

   Tsinghua University ranking, mainly is the ranking index system is beneficial to tsinghua. International rankings regardless of history, do not tell what subject base, key disciplines; international ranking about teacher-student ratio, students would be deducted.
   At the same time, Tsinghua law school has always been more internationalized: many teachers works published in foreign countries, about 20% students from overseas, in the domestic first opened the LLM Program for Chinese Law English law course, a founder of the Tsinghua China Law Review English academic journals. These are probably the top cause of tsinghua.


Reporter ran goldIntern Xu Li Huang Shuai
Tsinghua law school into the world 50 strong new law school bear the heavy responsibility of reform?
"Southern Weekend" 2011-11-03
Http://www.infzm.com/content/64486

In the country ranked in the fifth wander up and down the Law School of Tsinghua University, in the latest British well-known ranking mechanism QS global law school 100 strong, and achieved forty-fifth place ranking, is China law school, only the list. Peking University Law School, Renmin law school, China University of Political Science and Law and other domestic traditional "five four series", but no one was selected.

A rehabilitation time of only 16 years, more than 1400 students, there is no "national key disciplines", small school of law nor the "Ministry of education key base" label, why would enter the foreign evaluation institutions "eyes"?

The majority of the respondents scholars in Tsinghua law school ranks 45 in the QS rankings in surprise, but will approve international standard construction law school factors introduced, can make the law thinking of a fundamental problem -- what kind of law school is really good law school?

Law school "overseas returnees"

Standard QS evaluation of University in the world is not complicated, mainly based on 3 index: peer evaluation, 1 academic areas accounted for 60%; 2 evaluation, employer based on accounting for 30%; 3 teachers of the papers cited, accounted for 10%.

"International prestige we emphasize will bring unexpected results." QS's London headquarters responsible for professional ranking affairs Ben Sowter said. Peer evaluation of the maximum weight, from the survey on the global more than 15000 scholars. They have to fill in the best of ten domestic and thirty international law school law school in his mind (not including the in school). The disclosure from 2010 the agency's data, from the China scholar in the proportion of not more than 2%.

In the view of American Philadelphia, Temple University professor Zhang Mo, the key factors of Tsinghua to ranking is, "Tsinghua University law school is an export-oriented law school, higher degree of internationalization."

Tsinghua law school dean Wang Zhenmin in an email to the teacher said, "the international ranking criteria is beneficial to us....... For example, do not tell the history long, does not recognize the subject base, key disciplines, speak only strength."

In 1995, Wang Zhenmin transferred to Tsinghua University, this year, in order to build a "world first class university", Tsinghua University decided to complex built in 1952 has been completely the termination of the law school.

"We had identified to be different and the north, National People's Congress, and follow the road of internationalization." Wang Zhenmin said. Rehabilitation at the beginning, namely have graduated from Tsinghua University central leadership position: "Tsinghua University to do law, it should be unique, otherwise, Beijing University, Tsinghua university enrollment is, why?"

Unlike the old law school, many famous "legitimate", from around the recruit of Tsinghua law school teachers, more than 80% have long-term learning and study abroad experience, has the highest number of world famous master's and doctoral degrees in law school in china.

In 2001, the reference USA law education model, Tsinghua law school 14 undergraduate core curriculum prescribed by the Ministry of education to cut only 8 doors, some compulsory course class time compression, elective course more, let the students to choose according to their own direction of development.

"We were also intend to break the have a look, why the 600 law school is a model, unified textbook, all students with Terracotta Army as a mold poured out like, do not think it means." Second President Wang Chenguang said.

The direction of running a school for international, internal Tsinghua law school in fact without controversy.

In 2002, Tsinghua law school to send Canadian scholars like Professor He Mei to the common law, inside the college had opposition.

"Do not know a Chinese law teacher, teach the Anglo American common law in Chinese law school things, how much a necessity?" Chinese is the written law country.

In September this year, held a "Tsinghua law education" ideal workshop, commemorating last died of illness he Mei huan. From the USA hired Mei Ruao of Tsinghua University professor Feng Xiang think, open common law education to case mainly in the domestic law school for desalination, dogmatic teaching mode, improve the current situation of China's legal system, has a very big help.

The common law course he Mei Huan had many students "collapse": course for four semesters, the English teaching, a lot of reading, writing, and discuss the keynote speech, the teacher pursued "torture". Even the teacher also stimulated. Zhao Xiaoli of associate professor of Tsinghua law school, He Mei Huan the force with one person, in the Tsinghua law school and run a school of law.

"It should be said Tsinghua attempt, affect the law educational circles to some of the original or the existing things reflect." Second President Wang Chenguang said. For example, a mock court, clinic education and case teaching, practice oriented teaching mode of Tsinghua law school took the lead in the introduction of foreign law school, these were fresh initiatives, it was adopted by many domestic law school.

Reportedly, Hongkong senior counsel Zheng Ruohua will succeed where beautiful Huan, professor at present is still the school of law of Anglo American common law only course.

By the "poison" less

The motive force of the reform is more likely to produce in the new law school. For the old school of law, "a lot of ideas and models has become history, form a kind of inertia, want to change is not so easy." Wang Chenguang said. A professor at Tsinghua University said, the new law school "historical burden light, by 'poison' less".

Tsinghua law school complex building, positive law heat just emerging, the traditional law school to expand, "is a way of law school". When China legal education into a "low starting point and the popular" collective lost, adhere to the "Tsinghua law school small and fine" has become an independent school running mode.

"The enrollment of less, we have conditions were fine education." Wang Zhenmin said. Tsinghua law school professor, doctoral tutor asked whether ordinary or lecturers, must take including undergraduate, teaching task.

"Tsinghua are small classes, class is all you." Last year was admitted to Tsinghua law school graduate legal tax sea boat board with the fingers to count, "contract law is Cui Jianyuan Zhang Weiping, civil litigation, criminal litigation is Zhang Jianwei......"

The subject base, key discipline has been established law school "," divided "even if the application is not granted down". It enables them to focus on teaching itself.

In Sun Xiaoxia's view, the measure of a good law school, the most important thing is to have the first-class teachers, and the "first class", in addition to professional level, occupation bottom line at least to keep teachers.

Unlike other political institutions, Tsinghua law school professors seldom go out part-time and participants. "We here no one go part-time lawyers, college to pay is also enough to live. Like me ten thousand yuan a month, also some subsidies. We focus on academic, if you are busy outside money, feel be misfits with the atmosphere." Professor He Haibo says Tsinghua law school.

In 2010, Ministry of education to prepare a set of Marx s legal textbooks, enrolled in the compilation of the "chief scientist Professor can obtain the title of" Tsinghua law school, but without a professor registration, no one care.

On the other hand, Tsinghua law school composed entirely of foreign professors, form the other University School of law to some academic independence aura.

The afternoon of October 24, 2010, President Wang Zhenmin is a doctoral student in the pre defense Professor including Wang Zhenmin, the 5 members of the academic committee, not by. This is the first Dr. Wang Zhenmin to recruit students, has 5 years.

The defense, associate professor Zhao Xiaoli took the lead in the fire, "you this is only for editorial work, not a PhD thesis." Wang Baoshu, Wang Chenguang, He Haibo also "ruthless".

"We have here only a uniform academic standards, no matter who you are students." He Haibo said.

In Tsinghua law school, awards, awarded judge issues of academic decisions by the academic committee, into and professional title evaluation, it must be decided by all the voting Committee of professors, deans and administration say not.

"Vice President Dean and Party committee are very respected professor's judgement, this is not the most China university." Lin Laifan said. Joining Tsinghua Lin laifan from Zhejiang University Guanghua School of law by the professor committee "met" program, was able to enter the. In his view, the value of this mechanism is the most important, is the realization of "the academic judgment power".

In 2009, Lin laifan farewell Zhejiang University Guanghua Law School entered Tsinghua University, is that this "less foam, quiet". He Meihuan was not to choose teaching in Peking University, is because the historical burden of the old law school is heavy, "it is not easy to open a new course".

Both standards, and derailment

In the former dean of Peking University School of law Zhu Suli, Tsinghua law school most important contribution, is "to create a Chinese problems in contemporary social environment and educational system, how to build or rebuild the law school model"; and this model is being more efficient replication university.

"It is the overall level China law education is not high, the accumulation is not thick, progress is not fast enough, to Tsinghua law school leaving the development space can be rapidly across the." Zhu Suli said.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University KoGuan Law School, Zhejiang University Guanghua School of law, School of law, non famous of these schools, also in order to explore the new road for the target China law.

In 2006, Zhejiang University and Taiwan Guanghua Education Foundation signed a cooperation agreement, decided to jointly set up a "world-class" law school, promote the rule of law, legal education Chinese China "with the international practice". Become fashionable for a time the independent school, Professor managing concept etc. (see related reports by July 17, 2008 "Guanghua Law School:" Professor Governance Institute "ideal experiment").

But in 2009, a letter to letter Guanghua law school teacher name is released on the net, at the Guanghua reform multiple "inappropriate", demanding the dissolution or reorganization of the professor committee, the right to the two party and government leading school, right to the masses......

Finally, President Sun Xiaoxia had left, Lin laifan "".

Sun Xiaoxia to the southern weekend said in the e-mail, in addition to the conflict in the independent management and personnel issues, an important factor in the reform of Taiwan is "lost". "They blindly radical, think in one or two years to solve our decades did not solve the problem, act with undue haste."

Even without the occurrence of this kind of fatal accident personnel turmoil, some reform measures Tsinghua law school because they "unrealistic" was forced to suspend.

Tsinghua law school curriculum reform in 2008, the law school after he failed to continue. An important reason is that in 2009, the judicial examination is open to undergraduate students, in the dual pressure of examination and employment, Tsinghua law school was forced by the content of the examination to restore all the courses.

"You don't teach, it should take an examination of, what can you do?" Tsinghua law school's first Dean Wang Baoshu said.

Judicial examination open to undergraduates the original intention is to promote the combination of education and practice. But the reality is, just accept the law undergraduate general education courses through two years, also did not complete the education law system, start from three into the exam oriented education basket.

Master of law from the jurisprudence of criticism is even more so. When the degree of intention, is the reference American JD (Doctor of laws) mode, legal occupation training application form. But in reality, the teaching content of master of law but is "law undergraduate shrink edition", whether theoretical accomplishment or occupation skill training is impossible, even become numerous University wantonly expansion project "to make money".

In 2010, Ji Weidong led the Shanghai Jiaotong University KoGuan Law School began to carry out from the "three three" system reform is the outstanding student selection degree, undergraduate, training mechanism implemented three years of undergraduate, professional three years master of law.

"We don't want to abolish the master of laws, but to reform from the bottom, as its name, but also the legal occupation education true colours." Ji Weidong said.

Look in Sun Xiaoxia, master of law ", and China disaster caused by flooding water" is the relative lack of a unified law school qualification assessment of the standards. To start legal education, provincial and municipal educational administrative departments will be approved.

In 2007, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law President Wu Handong interview revealed, quantitative standards committee of Ministry of education, Jilin University law guidance is entrusted the drafting of outstanding law school evaluation. But so far, this standard has not announced.

"Legal education China grope for thirty years, has not found the root, now lost." Wang Baoshu said.

"What kind of law school, there is what kind of court. Therefore, reform should start from the reform of law education." Ji Weidong of dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University KoGuan Law School said, "if the new law school can not play a leading role, but to be assimilated, the idea that our country will always just ideas."