The College of Law: About Us
As one of the main academic divisions of Guizhou University, the College of Law traces its roots back to the National Guizhou University College of Law and Business, established in 1942. During the nationwide restructuring of higher education in 1952, this college merged with law programs from other universities to form the Southwest University of Political Science and Law. In 1980, with the approval of China’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice, the law program at Guizhou University was reinstated.
Since its restoration, the College has remained committed to its mission of educating citizens and cultivating talents for the People’s Republic and the Communist Party. Through the united effort of its faculty, the College has achieved significant milestones in legal education. In 2012, it was recognized as one of the first national bases for excellent legal talent education and training by the Committee of Political and Legislative Affairs and the Ministry of Education. In 2018, it became the first institution in Guizhou Province authorized to offer a doctoral degree in law, marking a significant milestone. That same year, it was included in the National First-Class Discipline Construction Project in Guizhou Province, and in 2019, it was granted the National First-Class Disciplines Project status. In 2020, the course “Intellectual Property Laws” offered by the College was selected as one of the first National First-Class Courses. In 2021, the project “Innovation in the Cultivation Mode of ‘Law + Digital’ Composite Talents in the Smart Era” was approved as one of the first batch of Research and Reform Projects in New Humanities and Social Sciences by the Ministry of Education. In 2023, the College was included in the first batch of Collaborative Cultivation Innovation Bases for Foreign-related Talents by the Ministry of Education.
Currently, the College of Law offers a Ph.D. program, a master’s degree program in the first-level discipline of law, and a Juris Master (JM) program. In the fifth round of China’s university programs evaluation by the Ministry of Education, the College was rated as “B-.”
The College of Law has a faculty comprising 56 full-time teachers, including 15 professors and 32 associate professors. Among them are seven doctoral supervisors, 38 Ph.D. holders, a member of the National Law Education Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, a State Council Special Allowance Expert, three Guizhou Provincial Government-Appointed Specialists, two Academic Leaders in Philosophy and Social Sciences of Guizhou Province, a Master Teacher of Guizhou Province, three Baosteel Outstanding Teachers, and three Golden University Teachers of Guizhou Province. For their dedication to and achievements in law education, many faculty members have received other prestigious honors, such as the National May 1st Labor Medal, National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetter, Excellent Graduate Supervisor of Guizhou Province, and Top Ten Legal Figures of Guizhou Province.
Over the past decade, the College has achieved remarkable teaching and research results. It has received the Special Award and First Prize of the Guizhou Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award, the First Prize of the Guizhou Provincial Graduate Teaching Achievement Award, and the Third Prize of the China Legal Education Research Achievement Award. Our faculty members have published over 50 monographs or textbooks and nearly a thousand academic papers, with many appearing in authoritative law journals such as China Legal Science, Comparative Law Studies, Chinese and Foreign Law, Law and Business Research, Science of Law, Political and Legal Forum, Legal System and Social Development, Modern Law Science, and Global Legal Review. The College’s research covers areas like property rights, tort law, human rights, feminist jurisprudence, cultural heritage protection, mining rights, and the rule of law in ecological environments. It has undertaken over 150 research projects, nearly 20 of which were supported by the National Social Science Fund of China.
More than ten thousand graduates from the College have embarked on successful careers in legal academia and practice, with many receiving national honors such as National Model Judge, National Model Procurator, and National Advanced Individual in Poverty Alleviation. Approximately 40% of legal practitioners in Guizhou have studied at the College, making it a significant source of legal talent in western China and beyond. In recent years, nearly 40% of undergraduates have continued their studies, with many pursuing doctoral degrees at prestigious Chinese and global law schools. Each year, over 80% of our students pass the National Unified Legal Profession Qualification Examination.
The College actively engages in external exchanges and cooperation, establishing educational and academic relationships with institutions in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other regions. It recruits international students from Southeast Asia and serves as a welcoming and popular destination for ASEAN students studying in China. Meanwhile, it also frequently sends faculty and students to world-renowned law schools for academic exchanges, enhancing its global academic exchange. It has hosted numerous important academic conferences, including the Cross-Strait Civil and Commercial Law High-End Forum, the Annual Conference of Chinese Constitutional Law, the Academic Seminar on Artificial Intelligence and Future Rule of Law, the Alibaba Forum of Youth Environmental Law Scholars, and the Forum on China-ASEAN Legal Talent Cultivation.
In addition to education and research, the College contributes to the rule of law by providing theoretical know-how and intellectual support. It collaborates with over 50 legal institutions, including the Guizhou Provincial Higher People’s Court and the Guizhou Provincial People’s Procuratorate. Our faculty members have contributed to more than 20 local legislation drafts, and over two-thirds of the teachers serve as consultants for major policy decisions by the CPC and China’s government at various levels.
In the new era of China’s comprehensive rule of law, the College will continue to uphold its motto, “Law Originates from Morality; Action Promotes Rightness.” It will innovate talent cultivation mechanisms, optimize educational methodology, and strive for higher achievements in legal research and talent development, contributing to China’s major strategic needs and the advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
