On September 17, 2026, the Peking University Institute of International Law hosted a lecture entitled “Social Rights and the Modern State.” The speaker was Prof. Nehal Bhuta, Chair of Public International Law at Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Assistant Prof. Chen Xiaohang of Peking University Law School chaired the lecture, with tenured A.P. Zhang Yongle of Peking University Law School and Assistant Research Fellow Liu Yang of Renmin University of China Law School serving as discussants. Focusing on the historical origins of social rights and the narratives surrounding them, the lecture attracted many faculty members and students from Peking University and other institutions, who participated actively in the discussion.

Translated by Zhang Xinye