Background
The Faculty of Law has maintained long-term academic cooperation with Chinese academic institutions under the China Autonomy Programme in the field of ethnic law and policy. Building on this cooperation, the Faculty of Law entered into research agreements with Chinese institutions.
People and organisation
The Oslo Law Faculty-China Legal Academic Exchange will create an open academic platform for joint research activities on law and society in China and the Nordic countries. This academic exchange reflects a wish to expand academic collaboration between the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo and three Chinese academic institutions - East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, Peking University Law School, and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing.
The Oslo Law Faculty-China Legal Academic Exchange is organised as a faculty unit headed by Dag Michalsen, with an advisory cross-faculty board consisting of Maria Lundberg, Mads Andenæs, Yong Zhou and Ole Kristian Fauchald.
The Law Faculty has appointed a thematic group on Nordic-China Law and Society which focuses particularly on these 3 areas: (1) collaborative governance on green transition in Norway and China, (2) comparative studies on law and society in Nordic countries and China, and (3) global legal history involving Nordic countries and China.
China-Nordic Law Center, Shanghai CNLC
The China-Nordic Law Center is a research center located at East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) in Shanghai in cooperation with Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo. The China-Nordic Law Center was established in 2019 and officially opened January 18, 2021.
CNLC is an open, academic and international platform to facilitate joint research on law and other relevant disciplines. The aim is partly to conduct legal research in collaboration between Oslo and Shanghai and partly to do legal comparative research.
From 2021, Professor Chen Jingying (Vice President at ECUPL) and Professor Dag Michalsen (UiO) are co-directors at CNLC.
Earlier activities
China-Nordic Law Center Online Launching Ceremony January 18, 2021
The China-Nordic Law Center Online Launching Ceremony was held on January 18, 2021.
https://study.ecupl.edu.cn/2021/0128/c10471a177258/page.htm
Lecture: "Sami Law in Scandinavia: Implementation and Implications" May 21, 2025
On May 21, 2025, Maria Lundberg and ZHOU Yong jointly delivered a lecture entitled “Sami Law in Scandinavia: Implementation and Implications” as the No. 19 in the series of academic lectures on Legal Civilization of the World and Regional Practices at ECUPL. Based on recent disputes and jurisprudence regarding the development of renewable energy, mining, and the human rights of Sámi as indigenous people in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, this lecture aimed to discuss the common challenges of implementing domestic and international law for a green and just transition worldwide in response to climate change and biodiversity conservation. Three commentators—LI Xiuqing (Prof. of Legal History), XIA Fei (Prof. of Criminal Law), and GAO Yining (Postdoc in Constitutional Law)—were invited, and Prof. YU Ming (Director, Centre of Legal History Studies, Deputy Dean of the Institute for Foreign-Related Rule of Law) chaired the lecture and discussions. A book launch for the special issue of Nordic Law in the Journal of Legal History Studies (Vol. 25, 2025, Law Press China), which results from the cooperation under the Oslo Law Faculty-China Legal Academic Exchange, was held after the lecture.
22nd Annual Conference of the Asian Law Institute (ASLI) ”Discourses of Rule of Law Asia’s Narrative” May 28 - 29, 2025
The 22nd Annual Conference of the Asian Law Institute (ASLI) ”Discourses of Rule of Law Asia’s Narrative” (May 28 - 29, 2025) was hosted by East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), Shanghai.
Researchers of the thematic group at UiO cooperated with Prof. LI Jun (Director, Centre for Law and Society Study) at ECUPL in organizing the Panel on “Law, Culture and Ecology” at the 22nd Annual ASLI Conference. Five panelists of the two partner institutions presented research on the following topics: A Community-based approach on National Parks for implementing the UN Convention on Biodiversity in China and Nordic Countries (Maria Lundberg, UiO), Hydropower sustainability, cultural impact assessment, and law in China (ZHOU Yong, UiO), Mediation of grassland disputes under the State law and customary law (LI Jun and LI Muzi, ECUPL), Environmental Compliance Challenges and Legal Strategies for Chinese Enterprises in Africa under the ESG Framework (TONG Wenqi, ECUPL). Prof. TAO Lifeng (Shanghai University of International Business and Economics) chaired the panel and the discussions among scholars from Japan, Thailand, Australia, and China.
Meetings with ECUPL leadership on collaboration through the China Nordic Law Research Centre at ECUPL May 2025
Prof. YE Qing, the Rector of ECUPL, Prof. Wu Qiaofang, director of the international exchange cooperation office, and Prof. DU Tao, dean of the Institute for Foreign-Related Rule of Law, along with professors from various departments at ECUPL, held discussions with researchers of the thematic group about promoting teaching and research cooperation on “law and society in the Nordic countries and China.” ECUPL introduced its new five-year plan, starting in 2026, which prioritizes strengthening the study of the rule of law globally. The plan emphasizes further enhancing exchange and cooperation through the China Nordic Law Research Centre at ECUPL.
Publications
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Journal of Foreign Legal History Studies (A Special Issue on Nordic Law) Dec. 16, 2025 2:04 PM
Institutional framework
Cooperations University of Oslo
- China - University of Oslo
- Nordic Centre (Fudan, Shanghai)
- International Department - Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
Student exchange programs between Faculty of Law Oslo and Chinese law institutions
- East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL)
- Peking University Law School
- Renmin University of China Law School
- Fudan University
- China University of Political Science and Law