China University of Political Science and Law

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China University of Political Science and Law


Established:	1952
Faculty:	1,400
Students:	21,325
Location:	Beijing, China

China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL; simplified Chinese: 中国政法大学; pinyin: Zhóngguó Zhèngfǎ Dàxué) is a university in Beijing, China. Its law school is considered one of the best in China. CUPL has two campuses, the original in Haidian and a newer campus near the Jundu Mountains in Changping, Beijing. The university's Haidian campus now hosts only postgraduate students. Undergraduates study at a much larger campus in Changping District, in the outer suburbs of Beijing. It is the largest institute in the world for legal education.

At present, CUPL comprises 12 schools, with 21,325 students and more than 1,400 faculty members, of whom 342 are professors and associate professors. CUPL maintains a broad international exchange program, with approximately 600 foreign students from 14 countries.

[edit] History

CUPL was initially established in 1952, with its official name Peking College of Political Science and Law and combined departments of law, political science, sociology and other subjects of Peking University, Yenching University, Fu Jen Catholic University and Tsinghua University. The prestigious scholar Ch'ien Tuan-Sheng (钱端升), who was educated at Harvard University and regarded as the founder of modern political science in China, was appointed as the first president. But in an authoritarian country like China, the training of legal practitioners was to serve the need of CPC instead of justice and equity. There was no surprise after the outbreak of Cultural Revolution CUPL was greatly affected and Ch'ien persecuted too.

In 1983, under the policy of Central People's Government to develop the college quickly and make it the center of politics and law education in China, BCPSL was renamed as China University of Political Science and Law. The Changping campus was a part of the State's Seventh Five-Year-Plan in 1985.

Under the motto of Cherish the Moral ,Understand the Law, Know the World, Serve the Public ; CUPL made its contribution to the development of legal education and training in China. It was the first university who established the specialties such as Legal History, Civil and Commercial Law, Economic Law, Procedure Law and Comparative Law in PRC. It also contributed to the education and promotion of Roman Law in China. With graduates over 100,000 in the past 50 years ,which became the elites of law enforcers and practitioners in China, CUPL could find its place in the law enactment and enforcement of China. Furthermore, it became prominent in the other public affairs in China, among which its faculties and students played an active role in the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 asking for democracy and rule of law.

To face the challenge of globalization, CUPL speed up its international cooperation. In 2005 an exchange program was established between CUPL and the University of Minnesota Law School in the United States to help the latter's law students learn Chinese law at the Xicheng District campus. In 2008 an exchange program was formed with Fordham University School of Law.