On October 14th, 2020, the Fall Semester Opening Ceremony for International Students was successfully held online. Professor Cheng Jinhua, Vice Dean of KoGuan School of Law, Professor Hou Liyang, Assistant Dean of KoGuan School of Law, and teachers from International Programs Office attended the ceremony along with students from around the world. The ceremony was hosted by Professor Hou Liyang.

Entrusted by Professor Kong, Dean of KoGuan School of Law, and on behalf of the Law School, Professor Cheng warmly welcomed all international students. In his speech, Professor Cheng mentioned the challenge to pursing legal education cause by COVID-19. He quoted the founder of Nanyang College, stating, “Emphasis should be laid on the integration and common ground of Chinese and Western philosophies on law in legal learning. He encouraged international students to take advantage of the opportunity to study in China to gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese laws and systems and to explore the difference between various law systems.

Professor Hou Liyang then added more information about the college’s English programs. He firstly mentioned that the Law School was established in 2002 and the launch of the international program in 2009 was a milestone. He stressed that the participation of the international students in the program added considerable value to the law school. He then introduced the programs provided, especially the doctoral program, which allows its candidates to earn a double degree at a partner university.

In the next section, Liam Lambert, Elena Karman and Eun Jung Choi shared their thoughts as student representatives. Liam from the UK shared his thoughts about the impact of the epidemic and said that despite the difficulties caused by time differences and travel bans due to the virus, his curiosity about legal knowledge has not decreased. He also expressed his gratitude for all the work done by his Professors and administrative staff, who have enabled the program to run smoothly while facing so many challenges. Elena from Russia shared her interests in Chinese business law and the reasons why she chose to attend Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Eun Jung Choi from South Korea shared her academic background and especially her experience when studying Finance and learning about Chinese culture at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which she regarded as a wonderful experience.

The final Q&A session concluded the ceremony. Though some students still cannot return to campus due to the pandemic, distance cannot hold back their intellectual curiosity. As always, all teachers and staff at KoGuan School of Law are prepared to welcome international students back to campus.