From the beginning of 2011, the Center for Law Research of Peking University, in cooperation with the Hong Kong Bar Association, has set up a course on "Common Law and Public Law" at Peking University Law School. The Hong Kong Bar Association organized a Hong Kong counsel to organize a small class at PKULS and organize a moot court in accordance with the common law model in Hong Kong. The best students in the course will receive common law scholarships and Lida scholarships and can intern following a counsel in Hong Kong under the organization of the Bar Association for two weeks.

On June 5 and 6, 2017, the Common Law Course Moot Court and the Scholarship Award Ceremony was successfully held in Moot Court, Koguan Building, PKULS.

In the "Moot Court" on June 5 and 6, a number of counsels from the Hong Kong Bar Association were judges. Students were divided into appellants and defendants to present their views.

On the basis of the common law course and the moot court, in the evening of June 6, the 7th Common Law Course Scholarship and the Lida Scholarship Award Ceremony were held in Moot Court, Koguan Building.Guests attending the ceremony were: Senior Counsel Lin Dingguo, Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association; Hong Kong Counsels headed by Counsel Mai Yecheng, Chairman of Standing Committee of  the Hong Kong Bar Association; Huang Liuquan, Deputy Director ofthe Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Wang Zhenmin, Minister of Legal Department ofthe Liaison Office in Hong Kong; Qin Juhua, Inspector of  the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee; Chen Jianwen, Deputy Director of the Basic Law Laboratory of NPC; Li Hu, Deputy Secretary of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission；Tao Jingzhou from Dechert LLP; Xiao Ming, Deputy Director of the Department of Law of Hong Kong Macao Office of State Council; Li Gengwei, Deputy Director general of Bureau 3 of the United Front Work Department of CPC central Committee and leaders of relevant departments of the central government and industry guests; Prof. Wu Zhipan, Executive Vice President of Peking University; Prof. Zhang Shouwen,Dean of Peking University Law School; Prof. Han Dayuan, Dean of the School of Law of Renmin University of China; Prof. Pan Jianfeng, Secretary of the Party committee ofPeking University Law School; Prof. Guo Li, Deputy Dean of Peking University Law School; Prof. Jiang Shigong and Prof. Gao Wei from Peking University Law School;  all students of 2017 “Common Law and Public Law”; “International Commercial Dispute Settlement: Practice and Training” courses; award representatives of 2011-2016 Common Law Course Scholarship & Lida Scholarship.

During the welcoming ceremony, Prof. Jiang Shigong, Director of the Center for Law Research at Peking University, introduced the guests and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of the parties, barristers from Hong Kong and students who have worked hard for this course.

Prof. Wu Zhipan, executive vice president of Peking University, gave his welcome speech. He recollected his experience of studying common law and internship in Hong Kong, recalling his friendship with the lawyers in Hong Kong. He sincerely thanked the Hong Kong Bar Association, for their support of Peking University Law School and encouraged the students to keep moving and broaden their horizons in the process of studying common law and serve the construction of the rule of law in the country.

Senior Counsel Lin Dingguo, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, expressed his strong support for legal exchanges between the two places. He believed that such exchanges were not only the chance for mainland students to study common law in Hong Kong, but also the chance for Hong Kong barristers to learn about law inmainland. He believed that such exchanges are conducive to promoting the "one country, two systems", "The Belt and Road Initiative" and other national strategies to better built.

Other guests also made their speeches affirmed the value of the Common Law Course, and expressed congratulations to the students who won the scholarship.

The next is the Hire Ceremony and Awards ceremony. Prof. Zhang Shouwen first read out the list of new curriculum instructors, and issued a certificate for them, then announced the list of winning students. The guests presented scholarship certificates for the winning students, and posed for pictures.

After the ceremony, Prof. Zhang Shouwen, Dean of Peking University Law School and Prof. Han Dayuan, Dean of the School of Law of Renmin University of China, gave speeches and thanked the Bar Association for their contribution and confirmed the outstanding performance of students.

Finally, the Dean of the School of Law, Peking University Law School, and the Dean of the National People's Congress Law School, exchanged gifts with the Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association. All the guests and students posed for pictures together.

Translatedby: Han Yiqing

Edited by: Lei Qi