On the afternoon of May 13, 2026, Prof. Eric Hilgendorf, a Distinguished Global Faculty member at Peking University Law School and a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Würzburg, Germany, delivered an online academic lecture entitled “The Theory of Legal Interests—Old Challenges and New Perspectives.” The lecture was moderated by Jiang Su, Research Fellow at Peking University Law School, with Prof. Liang Genlin and Assistant Professors Wang Huawei and Wu Yuhao, all from Peking University Law School, serving as discussants. Focusing on the foundational concept of “legal interests” in criminal law, Prof. Hilgendorf traced its development from the Enlightenment to modern society through the perspectives of various German scholars and offered new insights into the functions of legal interests in contemporary criminal legislation. Nearly 100 faculty members and students from various universities attended the lecture online and responded enthusiastically.