On September 28, 2026, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, former President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), visited Peking University Law School. Dean Guo Li, Vice Dean Dai Xin, Prof. Zhao Hong, Assistant Professor Liao Xuexia, and Assistant Professor Chen Xiaohang warmly welcomed Judge Yusuf and met with him for in-depth discussions on the development of the ICJ and the internationalization of Peking University Law School. Liu Yiqiang, Executive Director of the Chinese Initiative on International Law, also attended the meeting.

On behalf of Peking University Law School, Dean Guo Li extended a warm welcome to Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf and outlined the School’s recent progress in developing international law as a discipline, educating legal professionals, and expanding international exchanges. Drawing on his extensive experience in international judicial practice, Judge Yusuf shared his perspectives on the functions and development of the ICJ, mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, and major issues facing contemporary international law. The two sides also discussed exchanges between Peking University and the international community in the theory and practice of international law, as well as the education of future international law professionals. Following the meeting, Judge Yusuf delivered a thematic lecture and engaged in academic exchanges with faculty members and students of the Law School.

Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf is an internationally renowned jurist with profound expertise and considerable influence in public international law. He served for many years as a judge of the ICJ and was its President from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Institut de Droit International, he has held senior positions, including chief legal adviser, at intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). He is one of the founders of the African Institute of International Law in Arusha, Tanzania, and the African Yearbook of International Law. Judge Yusuf holds a doctorate in international law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, now the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. He has long devoted himself to research on the theory and practice of international law and has published numerous influential works across its various fields. He has consistently valued exchanges with China’s international law community and expressed the hope that this visit would further strengthen his academic engagement with scholars and young students at Peking University.

The visit formed an important part of the exchange activities marking the 80th anniversary of the ICJ. It aimed to strengthen academic ties between China’s international law community and former ICJ judges and distinguished international jurists, promote exchanges on the theory and practice of international law, and offer young Chinese students opportunities for direct dialogue with experienced international law practitioners. Building on this visit, Peking University Law School will deepen exchanges and cooperation with international judicial institutions and the international law community, while encouraging and supporting more young students to pursue international law research and participate actively in international legal practice. These efforts will create broader opportunities to educate legal professionals with a global outlook and international competitiveness for foreign-related legal affairs.