An Introduction to CSU School of Law
The history of legal education at Central South University (CSU) dates back to the 1990s. In 1993, Central South University of Technology, a predecessor of CSU, established the Department of Law and launched its undergraduate program in Economic Law. In 2000, Central South University of Technology, Hunan Medical University, and Changsha Railway University merged to form Central South University (CSU). In May 2002, CSU School of Law was founded through the integration of legal education resources from the three merged universities. Distinguished jurist Professor Qi Duojun, then Vice President of the China Economic Law Association, served as its inaugural dean. The School is currently led by Prof. Li Huadong as Party Secretary and Prof. Xu Zhongyuan as Dean.
As a medium-sized law school, CSU School of Law has 59 full-time faculty members, comprising 19 professors, 24 associate professors, and 16 assistant professors. The faculty boasts diverse educational backgrounds: over 87% hold doctoral degrees, and over 60% have overseas research experience. This provides a solid foundation for talent cultivation, academic research, and international exchange. Despite its moderate size, the faculty features a strong, well structured academic team: three faculty members have been selected for National High level Talent Programs; eleven have received provincial or ministerial talent titles; one has received the Chinese Government Friendship Award; one is elected for the Ministry of Education's overseas postdoctoral talent program; one serves on the Teaching Guidance Committee for Law Majors of Higher Education Institutions under the Ministry of Education; one has been elected as a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts; and three have received the Special Government Allowance from the State Council.
The school offers a complete disciplinary system in legal studies, with authorization to confer the Doctor of Juridical Science, master's degrees in law, Juris Doctor (professional degree), and Juris Master's degrees in law. It also hosts a postdoctoral research station in law. CSU School of Law is among the first batch of national Outstanding Legal Talent Training Bases, National First class Undergraduate Program Sites, and Off campus Practice Bases under the Ministry of Education’s Undergraduate Teaching Project. In the national discipline evaluations organized by the Ministry of Education, the law discipline has twice been rated B+ and is the only ‘Prominent Discipline’ under Hunan Province’s ‘Double First Class’ Initiative, providing a high-level platform for all its endeavors.
The School of Law is committed to cultivating outstanding legal professionals who combine moral integrity with legal expertise and integrate knowledge with practice. It pursues individualized and elite training models, emphasizes unlocking students’ potential and sharpening their practical skills, and has established a three-in-one talent cultivation system built on three pillars: classroom instruction, legal practice, and subject-based competitions. In recent years, the School has won first prize in the international Jessup Moot Court Competition for five consecutive years and has accumulated over 160 major awards in the international ICC Moot Court Competition and various national-level competitions. These achievements testify that CSU law students possess solid legal knowledge, strong practical skills, and a broad international outlook. Consequently, graduates are widely sought after by legislative, judicial, and administrative organs, as well as by law firms, corporations, and other sectors, and have become key contributors to advancing the rule of law in China. Building on its high-quality faculty and comprehensive disciplinary platforms, the School has formed a complete talent cultivation chain from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels and from academic to professional degree tracks, supporting students’ all-round growth and development.
The School of Law is guided by the principle of serving rule-of-law construction at the national level and supporting local overall development. On the basis of strengthening traditional advantageous disciplines such as Jurisprudence, Civil and Commercial Law, and Criminal Law, it focuses on developing distinctive disciplines including Health Law, Data Law, Human Rights Law, Cultural Law, and Education Law. It excels in think tank construction and ranks among the top law schools in China. The Chinese Cultural Law Research Center, Human Rights Research Center, Health Law Research Center, and Education Legislation Research Center are all CTTI listed think tanks, including three national top 100 think tanks and two provincial characteristic professional think tanks. Since 2009, the school has hosted the Nanyue Forum on the Rule of Law Government and the Xiangjiang Forum on China’s Rule of Law for 16 consecutive years, providing high level platforms for academic exchange and policy support. Since 2014, it has published 12 volumes of the China Rule of Law Implementation Report, an influential publication serving rule of law development in Hunan and nationwide. Researchers from the Human Rights Research Center have participated in drafting and revising China’s human rights white papers and attended sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council, offering professional insights for China’s rule of law and human rights progress.
Adhering to the strategy of ‘Rooted in Hunan, Serving the Nation, Engaging Globally’, the school promotes the internationalization of legal education and research through extensive global cooperation. It has established long term partnerships with prestigious universities and research institutions worldwide and appoints distinguished foreign scholars as honorary or full time professors, including Professor Thomas M. J. Möllers (German legal methodology), Professor Luís Filipe Maksoud Greco (German criminal law), Professor Peter Herrmann (Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts), and Associate Professor Efe Can Gürcan. The school regularly hosts international academic conferences, invites international scholars for lectures, and supports faculty and students in studying and researching abroad. These efforts enhance students’ international competitiveness and cross cultural communication capabilities, advance global academic exchanges, and expand the school’s international influence.
The school follows the strategy of ‘Developing through Research and Strengthening through Talent’. Since 2020, the faculty have published 12 high level papers in Category A Chinese journals such as Social Sciences in China, China Legal Science, and Chinese Journal of Law. The school has led more than 30 projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China (including 4 major bidding projects and major projects of the Ministry of Education and 5 key projects). One research achievement was selected for the National Achievements Library of Philosophy and Social Sciences. The school publishes two CSSCI indexed journals: Folk Law Studies and Economic Law Review, both with strong academic influence.
Upholding the educational philosophy of ‘Human-Centered, Truth-Seeking, Excellence, and Responsibility’, the school pursues development by supporting the growth of faculty and students, promoting rigorous scholarship, and fulfilling educational responsibilities. Leveraging its latecomer advantages, it strives for leapfrog development. CSU School of Law is dedicated to building a vibrant academic community, advancing social justice, serving China’s rule of law construction, and contributing intellectual strength to building a great modern socialist country and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.