The Human Rights Law Research Center of Sichuan University was established in 2004. The center, which relies on the university, combines the functions of theoretical research, teaching and training, and social service. The organizational members of the center consist of the Law School of Sichuan University, the Academy of Social Development and Western Exploration, the Research Institute of Tibetology and the Research Institute of South Asia.

 

1. Operating Mechanism

 

The Human Rights Law Research Center of Sichuan University is composed of the Academic Committee, the Human Rights Social Services Office, the Human Rights Education and Training Office, the Human Rights Decision Making Consultation Office, the Minority Human Rights Research Division and the Anti-Discrimination Law Research Division.

 

2. Staff

 

The center has 50 staff members, including 15 professors, 15 associate professors, one associate research fellow, four assistant research fellows, four lecturers, and one assistant lecturer. A total of 28 have doctoral degrees, accounting for 70 percent of the total. The center has 11 members of ethnic minorities, accounting for 27.5 percent. Seven are Tibetans, two are Uygurs, one is Mongolian and one is of the Bai ethnic group.[page]

 

3. Ethnic Minority Research Team

 

Two of the Tibetan scholars at the center obtained doctoral degrees at the University of Colorado, U.S. One works in Chinese, Tibetan and English. The other three work in Chinese and Tibetan. Among the two Uygur scholars, one obtained a doctoral degree at Kyoto University, Japan. The other one works in both Chinese and Uygur.

 

4. Leadership of the Center

 

Zhou Wei, professor, director of the center, adviser to doctoral degree candidates; research fellow at Yale University, U.S. and the Max Planck Society institutes, Germany; speeches at the Council of Foreign Relations, the Law School of Columbia University, the Law School of Yale University and the University of Oslo, Norway, on anti-discrimination human rights research; managing director of the China Society for Human Rights Research, panel member for drafting theNational Human Rights Action Plan 2012-2015; China project specialist, Convention 111 between China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the International Labor Organization; has publishedthe books Constitution in Courts: Freedom, Equality and Anti-discrimination Public Interest Litigation, and Research on Anti-discrimination Laws; has served as counsel in many anti-discrimination cases such as those involving height discrimination, hepatitis B discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination, appearance discrimination, residency discrimination and genetic discrimination; has written 30 consulting reports for the central leadership, with 10 reports being commented on by Party and state leaders.[page]

 

Yang Minghong, professor, deputy director of the center, adviser to doctoral degree candidates; has published more than 100 academic papers, with 23 papers being included inPeriodical Literature Reprinted by Renmin University of China; has published 14 academic books, edited one textbook; has led three National Natural Science Foundation projects, four National Social Science Foundation projects, two major projects of the Ministry of Education’s key humanities and social scientific research bases; has written consulting reports for the central leadership, the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee United Front Work Department and the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee.

 

Xie Weiyan, professor, vice director of the center, adviser to doctoral degree candidates; managing director, vice secretary-general, the China Society for Constitutional Law; has published more than 40 academic papers, with nearly 10 papers being included inPeriodical Literature Reprinted by Renmin University of China; has publishedthe books From Constitution to Constitutionalism, and Constitutionalism Towards Balance; has edited 10 books including Constitution Research, vol. 10.[page]

 

 

1. Human Rights Education and Training

 

(1) Human Rights Decision Making and Consulting

 

Those obtaining comments from the central leadership: four articles on human rights development in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu; six articles on stability and the development of human rights in Xinjiang; one article on hot issues related to the national development of human rights. Those obtaining comments from provincial and ministerial leaders: eight articles on human rights development in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu; a few articles on stability and the development of human rights in Xinjiang. Those accepted by the Sichuan Provincial Government: four proposals on human rights development in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu; one proposal on hot issues related to the national development of human rights; the 2009 proposal on media reporting and coverage of ethnic minorities after the July 5 Incident in Urumqi; and the 2011 proposal on investigation proceduresrelated to the July 23 high-speed train accident.

 

Campus of Sichuan University

 

(2) Human Rights Pioneer

 

The center leads other organizations nationwide in research on anti-discrimination legal theory, which has helped the center gain international attention. The center has represented clients in cases concerning discrimination related to height, hepatitis B, gender, region, appearance, disability, residency and genetics. Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Economist covered these stories. Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily exclusively interviewed experts of the center.[page]

 

(3) Human Rights Education

 

In 2004, the center launched master’s degree programs in human rights theory, human rights research and international human rights law. In 2005, the center began to offer an elective course in constitutionalism and human rights to undergraduates. In 2006, the center began to offer an elective course in human rights law to undergraduates. In 2013, the Ministry of Education approved its master’s and doctoral degrees programs in human rights law. In 2014, the center planned to accept four master’s degree candidates and one doctoral degree candidate in human rights law.

 

(4) Human Rights Training

 

In 2005, the center cooperated with the University of Oslo Law School to organize the first training class for human rights teachers at Western universities, laying a basis for future training of this kind. In 2006, the center organized a symposium for Sichuan lawyers on labor rights and public interest litigation to discuss constitutional equality and anti-discrimination. In 2007, the center cooperated with the George Washington University Law School and the China Society of Lawyers to organize a lawyer training program and an international symposium on anti-discrimination in employment. In 2008, the center cooperated with Yale Law School to organize theAcademic Theory Symposium on Anti-discrimination Law. In 2009, the center organized the Theory and Practice Symposium on theRights of the Disabled. In 2011, the center organized the Third National Work Experience-sharing Conference, which was attended by more than 50 representatives from national human rights organizations. In 2011, the center cooperated with the George Washington University Law School to organize a training program and a symposium on anti-discrimination for judges and arbitrators. In 2013, the center cooperated with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden, to organize a symposium on human rights teaching methods at universities. From 2011 to 2013, the center cooperated with the Sichuan Province Disabled Federation and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation to publish conference proceedings on the rights of the disabled, anti-discrimination in employment, the anti-discrimination legal system and public interest litigation for equality.[page]

 

(5) Research on Human Rights Theory

 

Human rights research: 22 National Natural Science Foundation and National Social Science Foundation projects; nearly 20 ministerial or provincial research projects.

 

Human rights papers: more than 100 papers on human rights in Tibet and Xinjiang published in Research on Ethnic Minorities; more than 30 papers on human rights research published in theChina Journal of Law.

 

Human rights books: more than 10 books including Constitution in Courts: Freedom, Equality and Anti-discrimination Public Interest Litigation, Anti-discrimination Law Research: Theories, Legislation and Cases.

 

(6) Human Rights Social Services

 

In 2008, Prof. Luorong Zhandui took part in the compilation of theTibetan Economic and Social Development Report. In 2009, Prof. Yang Minghong participated in a briefing on Tibetan economic and social development. In 2010, tibet.cn published an article,“Yang Minghong: Reporting Real Tibet with Research Results.” In 2012, Prof. Zhou Wei participated in the expert panel for drafting theNational Human Rights Action Plan 2012-2015. In 2013, Prof. Yang Minghong participated in the compilation of theTibetan Economic and Social Development Report, which was published by Xinhua News Agency. In 2013, Prof. Zhou Wei participated in drafting human rights articles for the China Society for Human Rights Studies.

 

2. Human Rights Education and Training

 

(1) Human rights research on ethnic minorities in Tibet and other Tibetan areas in four provinces and Xinjiang: Academic resources were brought together from the Tibetology Research Institute, South Asia Research Institute and Taoism and Religious Culture Research Institute at Sichuan University to build a multidisciplinary research team.[page]

 

(2) Human rights decision making consulting: Prof. Zhou Wei, director of the center, was listed as a specialist on Xinjiang and Tibet-related issues by the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

 

(3) Human rights theory and anti-discrimination law research: The center leads others in China and is recognized by international experts. The center has established long and stable academic exchange relations with Yale Law School, the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights Research and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.

 

 

General targets:

 

Guided by the Overseas Publicity Office of the CPC Central Committee, the center will implement the National Program of Action on Human Rights. The center will play an active role in multidisciplinary research on the human rights of ethnic minorities in Tibet and the Tibetan areas in four provinces and Xinjiang. The center aimsto become an internationally influential education and training base for the human rights of ethnic minorities.

 

Specific targets:

 

Human rights training -- increase the number of instructors teaching human rights at universities in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces as well as Xinjiang; train public employees regarding human rights knowledge in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces as well as Xinjiang; increase exchange and cooperation between human rights organizations in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang.

 

Human rights education -- enroll a certain number of doctoral degree candidates whose native languages are Tibetan or Uygur; add one or two elective courses on human rights law; enroll master’s degree candidates from Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang and carry out human rights research; accept visiting scholars from universities in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang.[page]

 

Human rights decision making consulting -- conduct decision making consulting research on ethnic groups and religions in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang; pay close attention to the dissemination of information on stability and human rights development in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang; provide proposals and consulting advice to the China Society for Human Rights Studies, the Ministry of Education, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, other ministries and relevant provincial and autonomous regional governments.

 

Human rights theory and anti-discrimination law research -- strengthen research on fundamental theories related to anti-discrimination law; summarize experience, characteristics and suggestionsrelated to China’s implementation of international human rights conventions; enhance anti-discrimination education and training.

 

 

1. Measures

 

(1) Training of ethnic minorities professionals: speed up research and education on ethnic minorities’ human rights and train high-level bilingual professionals from ethnic minorities; between 2014-2020,ensure that one-third of the center’spersonnelcan speak Tibetan, Uygur or Yi; strengthen human rights training for government and Party employees in Western areas populated by ethnic minorities; set up visiting scholarships for university teachers in Western areas populated by ethnic minorities; enroll from overseas master’s and doctoral degrees candidates in order to increase international recognition.[page]

 

(2) Human rights decision making consulting: compile Tibetan Areas Human Rights Correspondence; compile China Tibetan Areas Human Rights Development Report; draft an ethnic minorities human rights decision making consulting report; draft human rights decision making consulting reports.

 

(3) Anti-discrimination law research: construct a network for anti-discrimination law; prepare China’s anti-discrimination website; publish anti-discrimination textbooks and theoretical research series in theChina Anti-discrimination Law Review; compile Anti-discrimination Law Research Correspondence; strengthen cooperation with news media.

 

(4) Human rights academic exchange: increase exchange between domestic human rights education and training bases; build regular cooperation mechanisms with domestic human rights research organizations in human rights education, training and research; send scholars to conduct academic exchange with well-known universities around the world; recommend students to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in human rights at internationally well-known universities; invite well-known human rights scholars and experts to teach at Sichuan University; dispatch people to visit influential human rights organizations around the world and help relevant government agencies conduct nongovernmental exchange in human rights.[page]

 

(5) Human rights social services: establish regular networking and cooperation with human rights social groups in West China; provide human rights knowledge and legal know-how to such social groups; send staff to take part in the important activities of such social groups in order to increase the social influence of the center.

 

(6) Tasks mandated by the China Society for Human Rights Studies: recommend or draft four to six articles each year for theChina Human Rights Development Report from 2015 on; dispatch experts to draft human rights bluebooks for the China Society for Human Rights Studies; actively participate in the Beijing Human Rights Forum and submit one to two academic papers; apply for three to five general or key projects sponsored by the China Society for Human Rights Studies; actively submit human rights decision making consulting reports to the China Society for Human Rights Studies.

 

2. Logistics

 

Increase the size of the center; add full-time employees to the center; attract more human rights experts; standardize management; ensure sufficient office space; allocate sufficient funds.[page]

 

 

1. Areas and fields: ethnic minority human rights in Tibet and the Tibetan areas of four provinces and Xinjiang; human rights education, theoretical research and professional training on anti-discrimination; consultation and proposals in key research fields related to the national development of human rights.

 

2. Advantages: the center has seven scholars whose native languages are of ethnic minorities, whose work language is Chinese and who can also speak foreign languages; the center has three scholars who haveearned doctoral degrees from overseas universities and many scholars who have studied abroad; Sichuan is the second largest Tibetan area in the country, and also a trade center for Tibetan culture and commodities, education, training and social services.

 

3. Influence: the center actively conducts anti-discrimination human rights education and training as well as international exchange in this field; the center provides master’s and doctoral degrees programs to increase its international influence; the center provides decision making consulting reports, which are urgently needed.