MA Level Online Teaching on Asia

Introduction to Chinese Law, 4 ECTS
Organiser: University of Helsinki Course teacher: Post-doctoral Researcher Yifeng Chen, University of Helsinki Application Period: 12.-23.11.2012 Time: 11.2.-30.4.2013
	picture: Lauri Paltemaa

Lecturers: Post-doctoral Researcher Yifeng Chen, University of Helsinki

Goal: The course offers the students a basic understanding of the contemporary legal system in the Peoples' Republic of China.

Contents: The rule of law construction in China has achieved much progress since the adoption of reform and open-up policy in 1978. The course adopts a normative approach and examines the status quo of laws and legal institutions in China. The course shall be organized to address three layers of Chinese law and practice.

The first part of the course aims to understand socially and contextually the conceptions of law and rule of law in China, or, the Chinese legal mentality.

The second part provides an overview of general structure of China’s legal system such as sources of law, judicial system, dispute resolutions and legal profession.

The third part shall focuses on specific sections of Chinese law, for example, China’s constitutional law, administrative law, contract, property law, commercial law, environmental law, labour law, etc.

Target Group:The MA level courses are aimed for students who already have aquired some knowledge about Asia or on the specialty of the particular course.

These courses are free for all students who hold a valid study right in one of the University Network's member universities.

The study fee for self-paying students is 50 euro per credit.

Taken as: Online lectures, readings and a 4,000-word essay.

Essay deadline Sun 31st of March 2013, essay must be submitted by 16:00 (Finnish local time).

Recommended reading:

Derk Bodde & Clarence Morris, Law in Imperial China: Exemplified by 190 Ch’ing Dynasty Cases with Historical, Social, and Judicial Commentaries (Harvard University Press, 1967), pp. 3-51

Randall Peerenboom, China’s Long March toward Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press, 2006), pp. 55-125

Jianfu Chen, Chinese Law: Context and Transformation (Martinus Nijhoff, 2008), pp. 147-206

Zou keyuan, China's Legal Reform: Towards the Rule of Law (Martinus Nijhoff, 2006), pp. 203-226 

Grading: on a scale of 1-5

Application for the course: Application period 12-23 November 2012. A maximum of 40 students will be accepted to the course in the order of application.

These courses are free for all students who hold a valid study right in one of the University Network's member universities.

The study fee for students from Finnish non-member universities and students from universities of applied sciences is 50 euro per credit. Students from these institutions need to fill out both the course application as well as an application to study as a non-degree student. More information regarding the process and the form can be found in the study guide.

Please make sure you have familiarized yourself with the course requirements in order to makes sure you have both the time and resources to complete the modules you have chosen.

Drop outs from the courses have come about due to students not reserving enough time for assignments and forgetting the deadlines. When you are accepted to a given course, please write down the exam dates and essay deadlines immeadiately so that you won't forget them.

Before enrolling on the course the students should check with their own home department that this course can be accepted as part of their degree in their own university.