The Human Rights Research Center of Jilin University has comprehensively summarized and systematically analyzed the theoretical foundation, great achievements and practical experience of China's human rights cause, and seriously examined the difficult explorations, tortuous paths and basic consensus in the field of human rights of other countries. It has made beneficial exploration for promoting the sinicization of Marxist theory of human rights and constructing the socialist theory system of human rights with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

 

Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in accordance with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Center for Human Rights Studies has been committed to the academic mission of carrying out research on human rights theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the practical mission of promoting the development of human rights in China in the new era, and has been committed to fostering and disseminating China's human rights discourse. 

 

 

The Human Rights Research Center of Jilin University is a university-level research institution mainly based on the Law School of Jilin University. With the full support of the university, it runs on the principle of combining theory with practice and engaging in multi-disciplinary and cross-regional cooperation. It has pooled teaching and research talents from the Law School, School of Marxism, School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Theoretical Law Research Center, Social Justice and Governance Research Center, Labor Relations Research Center, China Population Aging and Economic and Social Development Research Center, Disabled Persons Development Center and other departments and research institutions. At the same time, taking the three provinces in northeast China as the main base, it has invited human rights scholars from Jilin Academy of Social Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Northeast University of Finance and Economics and other universities and research institutes to join in the cooperation, and established a stable cooperative relationship with the local governments, trade union, Youth Federation, Women's Federation, Disabled Persons' Federation and other state organs and social organizations.

 

Director of the Center: Professor Jiang Zhiying, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jilin University

 

Director of Academic Committee: Professor Zhang Wenxian, Senior Professor of Philosophy and Social Science of Jilin University, Director of Academic Committee of China Law Society, Member of Party Leadership Group

 

Director of the Center's Strategic Planning Committee: Professor Lu Guangjin, Kuang Yaming Distinguished Professor of Jilin University, Human Rights Academic Leader of Jilin University Law School, Human Rights Research Center of Jilin University, Secretary-General of the China Society for Human Rights Studies

 

Executive Director of the Center: Professor He Zhipeng, Dean of the Law School of Jilin University, Young Yangtze Scholars of the Ministry of Education in 2016, and the Eighth National Top Ten Outstanding Young Jurists

 

2. The team of researchers
 

The Law School of Jilin University has a large number of leading figures, leading forces and emerging scholars in the study of Chinese human rights theory and system. At the same time, the School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, the School of Administration and other departments of Jilin University, as the forefront of Chinese Marxist philosophy and politics, have also gathered a number of outstanding scholars in human rights studies.

 

The core members of the Center are human rights researchers from the Law School of Jilin University and the Theoretical Law Research Center of Jilin University. With the support of relevant departments and research institutions of Jilin University, as well as influential academic institutions and relevant practice institutions in the three northeastern provinces, a team of experts has been formed that combines theory with practice and covers all fields of human rights.

 

3. Specialty Direction and Characteristics
 

(1) Major Direction
 

The Center is based on human rights studies in jurisprudence, international law, constitutional and administrative law, criminal law, procedural law, economic law and social law, and integrates interdisciplinary studies of Marxist philosophy, political science, sociology, economics and other related disciplines. It has formed the following stable and distinctive and advantageous professional directions: Human rights (rights) philosophy, socialist human rights theory and system with Chinese characteristics, comprehensive rule of law and legal protection of human rights, global human rights governance and international rule of law, department law and legal protection of human rights (such as constitution and human rights protection, administrative law and human rights protection, private law and human rights protection, etc.), emerging rights research (such as environmental rights, digital human rights, etc.), special subject right study (such as workers' rights, women's rights, the rights of children, the elderly rights, rights of persons with disabilities research, etc.), social justice and equal rights protection research, business and human rights, science and technology, and human rights (such as information technology and human rights, gene technology, and human rights, etc.), etc.

 

(2) Characteristics and advantages
 

First, profound tradition, advancing with the times. Jilin University is the cradle of "rights-based theory" and an important center of human rights and rights research in China. In the past 30 years, Jilin University has not only improved and promoted the "rights-based theory" from the perspective of philosophy of rights, but also devoted itself to developing with the times in the aspects of system and practice. With equal emphasis on human rights research, the Center also attaches great importance to the teaching of human rights theory and human rights laws, and has accumulated experience in the construction of teaching materials, curriculum system and teaching methods of human rights law teaching, ranking among the top in China.

 

Second, integrate multidisciplinary knowledge structure, and combine theory with practice. First of all, the Law School of Jilin University has realized the integration of jurisprudence with constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law, procedural law, economic law, social law, environmental law, international law and other departments of law. Secondly, within Jilin University, the Law School has established interdisciplinary cooperation with the School of Marxism, the School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, the School of Administration, the School of Business, the Research Center for Labor Relations, the Center for the Development of Disabled Persons, the Research Center for Population Aging and Economic and Social Development and other departments and research institutions. Thirdly, in Northeast China, Jilin University cooperates with Jilin Academy of Social Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Yanbian University, Northeast University of Finance and Economics and other universities and scientific research institutions. Fourthly, in terms of combining theory with practice, the integration between research institutes and national organs and social organizations such as the People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, functional departments of the Party and government, courts, procuratorates, public security departments (bureaus), judicial departments (bureaus), bar associations, trade unions, women's federations, youth federations and disabled persons' federations has been realized. 
 

Third, the combination of global thinking, international vision, China's position and China's perspective of issues. The team members with the research direction of international human rights and humanitarian law, who have achieved great achievements in the research field of global human rights governance and international rule of law, are the important backbone of Human Rights Research Center of Jilin University. At the same time, most of the core members of the center have overseas study visiting experience. Courses by professors from universities in the United States and Europe are also included in the center's teaching program, which helps expand the center's global thinking and international perspective. At the same time, the Center's human rights research and education also shows prominent Chinese characteristics, even northeast local characteristics, which ensures that the Center will conduct "effective" research on "real issues" in the right direction. For example, Professor He Zhipeng, Executive Director of the Center, taught the course "International Relations and International Law" to international students of Jilin University, which demonstrated China's human rights practice are reflected in the socialist human rights discourse with Chinese characteristics. This course was selected into the first batch of state-level excellent courses for international students.

 

Fourth, adequate and robust resources capacity. With the strong support of the university, the Center has pooled excellent research teams and high-quality research resources from Law School, Theoretical Law Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Judicial Civilization, and related universities, departments, research institutions, state organs and social organizations. The Center has strong strength in concept, foundation, experience, staffing, infrastructure and other aspects. This provides important support for the smooth operation of the Center.

 

 

Through unremitting efforts, the Center has formed a teaching and research platform integrating theoretical research, talent training, advice management, social services and cultural exchanges.

 

In terms of personnel training, the Center has achieved fruitful results. In recent years, more than 100 postgraduate and doctoral students have written dissertations on human rights. In terms of academic competitions, the Center won the third place in the "16th Lilu Cup National University Moot Court Competition" in 2018, the third place in the "13th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition in Mainland China" in 2019, and the first place in the best defense petition in the match. the Center also won first place in total score, first place in best trial argument award, first place in best prosecution lawyer, third place in best government lawyer prestige award of the 2019 ICC Chinese Moot Court Domestic Competition, third place in 2019 ICC Chinese Moot Court Competition in the Hague final round, and qualified for the international competition in the ICC Chinese Moot Court in 2021.

 

In terms of advice for administration management, more than 10 achievements of the Center have been adopted by central Party and government organs, and more than 20 achievements have been adopted by provincial and ministerial party and government organs. The Center has participated in national consultation meetings, hearings, or directly participated in the drafting and policy evaluation of national documents, such as the government’s white papers. The Center submitted more than 40 issues of internal policy journals (such as internal reference, special report, important report, abstracted report, etc.), and published or released more than 40 investigation reports. Relevant achievements have also been interviewed by central media such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and CCTV.

 

In terms of academic exchanges at home and abroad, the Center has hosted more than 30 domestic academic conferences. In addition, it has established cooperative relations with more than 20 foreign universities such as the University of Oxford, and has hosted and participated in more than 20 major international conferences, including meetings of international or regional organizations such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Conference of Asia Pacific Law Association, and the China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights. This year, the Center successfully hosted the International Symposium on "The Communist Party of China and the Development and Progress of Human Rights in China".

 

In December 2020, the Center was successfully selected into the third batch of national human rights education and training bases, which fully affirmed its achievements, indicating that the Center has entered a new stage of development. In January 2021, Jilin University officially established a doctoral program on human rights, which marked a major breakthrough in the human rights discipline construction in Jilin University. This is an important milestone for the Center to continue to strengthen human rights research and education.