I. Purposes: A. To provide a forum for direct exchange between U.S. and Chinese law faculty members and lawyers in the following areas: (1) recent developments in international law, with a focus on the United Nations as it reaches its 50th anniversary, (2) the importance of international law with respect to transnational economic relations, and (3) methods and goals for teachers of international law.
B. To provide a basis for future cooperation and exchange among the participants.
II. Language: Plenary sessions would be in English, but small group discussions would be in Chinese or English depending on the preferences of the group.
III. Location: Zhongshan University, Guangzhou
Guangzhou is at the heart of China's remarkable economic boom; it is also the location of a growing legal infrastructure. Zhongshan University is a center of learning in southern China. Its distinguished law department offers masters degrees in international law, economic law, and legal history. Currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, the university is situated on a large and tranquil campus just across the Pearl River from bustling downtown Guangzhou. The Zi Jing Yuan Guesthouse on the campus has recently renovated rooms for foreign guests, and there are other hotels and several restaurants available on the campus.
IV. Time: 2 or 3 days in early June, 1995.
The first few days of June may be ideal as there is a regional conference of the International Law Association in Taibei May 27-30, and some participants in that conference might be able to include Guangzhou on the same trip.
V. Participants: The total number of participants would be about 30. There would be three major categories of participants: American law professors, distinguished senior Chinese law professors, and young Chinese faculty members who teach international law.
Discussion leaders will be distinguished Chinese and American law professors. These would include members of the international law faculty of Zhongshan University, and Fulbright professors John M. Rogers (University of Kentucky/Zhongshan University) and Terence Blackburn (Seton Hall/Beijing Foreign Affairs College). In addition, the conference co-chairmen would specially invite up to five distinguished professors of international law from other Chinese universities, and three or four additional professors of international law invited to travel to the conference from the United States.
The target audience would be approximately 20 young Chinese faculty members. Major law departments of Chinese universities would be invited to send one or two junior faculty members who teach international law and who have reasonable English facility.
Other possible participants could be lawyers from Hong Kong and Guangzhou, and lawyers with international specialties in Chinese ministries.
VI. Coordination and Support:
Professor John Rogers and Professor Chen Zhi Zhong would be the program co-chairmen.
Zhongshan University would provide administrative support such as issuing invitations, assisting with travel arrangements, and providing meeting rooms. The university may also be able to support the expenses of the specially invited distinguished Chinese faculty members.
Travel and accommodation for the remaining Chinese faculty participants would be borne by their home institutions.
The Ford Foundation might be asked to support to travel costs of professors coming from the United States.
The Fulbright office of the United States Information Service has indicated that it will be able to pay for the travel of Professor Blackburn from Beijing to Guangzhou under the Fulbright visiting professor program.
The American Society of International Law will lend support in identifying and facilitating the participation of U.S. law professors.
VII. Program.
The program would consist primarily of a series of panel sessions. About four members of each panel would make presentations of about 10 minutes each, followed by discussion among themselves, followed by discussion and questions from all participants. Then each panel member would lead a small group discussion on his or all of the issues raised. The emphasis of the entire program would be on practical exchange and informal discussion rather than on the presentation of formal papers. Leaders may speak on more than one panel. Small groups would mix Chinese and foreign participants.
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