On June 1, 2024, the closing ceremony and Common Law Scholarship Award Ceremony for the "Essentials of Common Law: Public Law" course, co-organized by Peking University Law School and the Hong Kong Bar Association, took place in the Courtyard of Peking University Law School.

During the course, under the guidance of eight barristers, all students completed a course assessment in the form of a mock trial. In the mock trial, students were required to represent the appellants or respondents in the case, delivering oral statements in English to the court and responding to the judges' immediate interruptions and questions. After a semester of common law teaching, all students completed the mock trial with outstanding performance.

During the award ceremony, Zhou Jing, Deputy Director of Office of Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs, Guo Li, Dean of Peking University Law School, and Victor Dawes S.C., Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, attended the event and delivered speeches. The representative of the course's main teachers, senior barrister Horace Wong S.C., announced the list of scholarship winners. After a rigorous selection process, ten students, including Huang Yuanheng, demonstrated excellent performance and were awarded the 2024 Common Law Course Scholarship and the opportunity to engage in common law practice at the Hong Kong Bar Association. The ceremony was presided over by Dai Xin, Vice Dean of Peking University Law School.

Deputy Director Zhou Jing, on behalf of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs, extended a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to the guests, and congratulated the award-winning students. She stated that in the context of the increasing demand for cross-legal system foreign-related legal talents, the collaborative educational model between mainland China and Hong Kong, which emphasizes both theory and practice and balances the civil law system with the common law system, has become a model for exploring and promoting the joint cultivation of talents between Beijing and Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" framework.

Dean Guo Li extended a warm welcome to the guests from the Hong Kong Bar Association, expressed heartfelt thanks to the teachers responsible for the course organization, and congratulated the students who successfully completed the course. He stated that this year marks the 120th anniversary of the establishment of Peking University's law discipline, and the development of Peking University Law School is inseparable from the support and help of all parties. The Hong Kong Bar Association is a partner that Peking University Law School particularly cherishes and values. He hopes that both sides will further deepen their cooperation and jointly cultivate more foreign-related legal talents.

Chairman Victor Dawes S.C. reviewed the 14-year development history of the common law course and expressed heartfelt thanks to Peking University Law School for its continuous support. He stated that this course marks the beginning of the Hong Kong Bar Association's attempt to teach common law in mainland China. This year, as the Hong Kong Bar Association celebrates its 75th anniversary, against the backdrop of the country's high emphasis on the development of foreign-related legal affairs and the cultivation of talents in this field, the course design has been enriched in both substantive law and procedural law, aiming to provide students with a more exciting and practical learning experience.

Barrister Sabrina Ho, as a representative of the teaching staff, delivered a speech. She stated that over the past 14 years, Peking University Law School and the Hong Kong Bar Association have remained true to their original intentions, with a passion for serving the construction of the country's legal system, and have insisted on contributing to the country's foreign-related legal education, continuously exploring and innovating. She wished the course continued success and enduring friendship between both sides.

Huang Yuanheng, a second-year legal master's student at Peking University Law School, spoke as a representative of the award-winning students. He thanked the school for providing valuable learning opportunities and the barristers for their excellent teaching. He stated that the exchanges with the barristers deepened students' understanding of common law practice, providing guidance for their future career development paths.

Ren Tao, a senior undergraduate student majoring in Law (Law and English) at Minzu University of China, spoke as a representative of the auditors. She thanked Peking University Law School for the valuable opportunities and the meticulous guidance of the senior barristers, as well as the companionship and joint efforts of her fellow students. She expressed her determination to continue studying hard to become a high-quality foreign-related legal talent.

Also in attendance at the award ceremony were Jose Maurellet S.C., Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, Norman Nip S.C., Vice Chairman of the Arbitration Affairs Committee of the Hong Kong Bar Association, barristers Clark Wang, Carol Wong, Sebastian Hughes, Cherry Xu, Leon Guo, and Peking University Law School Assistant Dean Zuo Yilu, as well as all students of the 2024 "Essentials of Common Law: Public Law" course.