The 2024 National Work Conference of Graduate Training Units for Professional Degrees in Law was held in Guangzhou from 7 to 8 December. The theme of the conference was ‘Improving Practice-oriented Education and Cultivation Mechanism of Law Schools and Promoting the Reform and Development of Postgraduate Legal Education in the New Era’. The conference was hosted by the National Steering Committee of Graduate Education for Legal Degrees, organised by Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and co-organised by the School of Law of Renmin University of China. More than 500 representatives from more than 260 universities and colleges across China, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, China Law Society, Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice, Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, and Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, China University of Political Science and Law, Wuhan University, Jilin University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Southwestern University of Political Science and Law, East China University of Political Science and Law, Northwestern University of Political Science and Law, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Southeast University, etc., attended the Conference. Associate Professor Ji Yang, Assistant Dean of Southeast University School of Law, attended the conference.

The opening ceremony of the conference was presided over by Dong Chaojie, secretary-general of the National Steering Committee for Postgraduate Legal Degree Education. Prof Shi Youqi, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Chen Xudong, Deputy Director of the Office of Governing by Law of Guangdong Provincial Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice, Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice, Feng Wei, Member of the Education Working Committee of Guangdong Provincial Committee, Member of the Party Group of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, Deputy Director General of the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education, Xiao Fu, Deputy Director of the Steering Committee for Postgraduate Education of the National Professional Degree in Law, and Wang Liming, a first-class professor of Renmin University of China, delivered a speech.

After the opening ceremony, Prof Zhang Wenxian, member of the Party Group of China Law Society, director of the Academic Committee, and president of the Research Society for Legal Education of China Law Society, made a special report entitled ‘The Overall Layout of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on the Rule of Law and Rule of Law Reforms in the New Journey’. After the special report, the launch of a large model for the practical training of foreign rule of law talents of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies was held.

Afterwards, Wang Jian, Deputy Secretary General of the National Steering Committee for Postgraduate Legal Education and Professor of Shanghai Normal University/Northwest University of Political Science and Law, presided over the exchange of institutional training experience. On behalf of our institute, Associate Professor Ji Yang reported on the cultivation of LLM postgraduates and shared his experience around the quality management of dissertations and other aspects.