With seventy years of glory behind, a promising new journey awaits. China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) celebrated its 70th anniversary this year. On July 10, more than 200,000 friends, faculty, students and alumni of CUPL gathered online and offline to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the university.
The celebration the 70th anniversary of CUPL, Photo by Lu Yunkai
A month before the grand celebration, Guo Shengkun, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, led officials from the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Justice, the China Law Society and other departments to visit CUPL. Several months before, Guo also extended congratulations to CUPL for its 70th birthday. Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme People's Court, and Zhang Jun, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, also visited CUPL, and unveiled three high-level joint research bases.
Present at the celebration event were Cao Jianming, Member of the 19th Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, Zheng Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Executive Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Xu Xianming, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Law Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, Vice President of the China Law Society, and former President of CUPL, Gao Jinghong, Vice President of the Supreme People's Court, Chen Guoqing, Deputy Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Zuo Li, Vice Minister of Justice, Xia Linmao, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Educational Work Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, Ye Jingyi, Vice Council Chair of Peking University, Major General Shang Yaheng, Deputy Political Commissar of the PLA Air Force, and Major General Wang Yongsheng, Deputy Political Commissar of the Armed Police Force. Moreover, five professors emeriti of CUPL, Jiang Ping, Chen Guangzhong, Zhang Jinfan, Li Deshun, and Ying Songnian, former President Huang Jin, the family of Qian Duansheng, the founding President of CUPL, as well as leaders of CUPL affiliated schools, leaders of CUPL administrative offices and schools, and representatives of alumni, trustees, faculty, students, and retired faculty of CUPL, also attended the event. 173 organizations including the Central Political and Legal Commission, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Yale University, and other organizations sent congratulations and good wishes to CUPL through congratulatory letters, telegrams, videos, and other means.
Professors Emeriti of CUPL (from left to right): Li Deshun, Ying Songnian, Zhang Jinfan, Jiang Ping, Chen Guangzhong, Photo by Yin Jianfeng
On the day of the celebration, everything on the CUPL campus was beautiful and harmonious. In a dignified and glorious manner, the auditorium of the Changping Campus was adorned with red, the same color of the Forbidden City. Every corner of the campus was lit up by the celebration spirit with wonderful ornaments, happy birthday banners with the number “70”, the emblem symbolizing fairness and justice, the mascot "Tuotuo" carrying the spirit of hard work, and the magnolia flowers indicating noble character.
CUPL Council Chair Hu Ming presiding over the celebration conference, Photo by Yin Jianfeng
Hu Ming, CUPL Council Chair, presided over the event. At 10:00 a.m., the conference to celebrate the 70th anniversary of CUPL was solemnly held. At the beginning of the conference, all the participants stood up and sang the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
CUPL President Ma Huaide delivering speech, Photo by Yin Jianfeng
On behalf of CUPL, President Ma Huaide extended a warm welcome to all friends and guests, sincere greetings and good wishes to all faculty, students, and alumni around the world, and heartfelt thanks to friends and organizations from all walks of life who have cared about and supported CUPL. In his speech, he reviewed the history of CUPL and said that over the past 70 years, CUPL had adhered to the spirit of loyalty and dedication as it served the State. CUPL has kept working hard, made strives, carried on good virtues, and pursued truth, pragmatism and justice. With these, CUPL has made great progress in disciplinary development, talent training, social services, and international exchanges. Going forward, President Ma Huaide held that in the process of striving for the second centenary goal, CUPL would live up to the glorious missions entrusted by the new era, i.e., to cultivate more talents, deepen reform and innovation, and strive to be world-class. Forging ahead with determination and courage, CUPL would continue to adhere to the four guiding principles of education and remain committed to serving the State. CUPL would work hard to build itself a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, help further the advancement of the rule of law in China, and make new and greater contributions to the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
Song Demin, Vice Minister of Education, extending warm congratulations on CUPL's 70th birthday through a video speech, Photo by Yin Jianfeng
Song Demin, Vice Minister of Education, extended warm congratulations on CUPL's 70th birthday. Song Demin pointed out in his speech that, over the past 70 years, CUPL has always shared good and bad times with China in the advancement of the rule of law and has cultivated generations of high-caliber legal talents for the country. He mentioned that CUPL has always assumed a leading role in the innovation of national legal education, legal theories, and legal thoughts, making important contributions to higher education and the establishment of the rule of law in China. Taking CUPL's 70th birthday as the starting point, he encouraged the university to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, think in big-picture terms, bear in mind the country's most fundamental interests, stick to the socialist orientation in running universities, fully implement the fundamental task of talent cultivation, deepen the theoretical research on the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, take the initiative to satisfy the major strategic needs of our country, and strive to help the establishment of a high-quality education system. CUPL is also expected to make greater contributions to developing education that the people are satisfied with as well as to promoting the rule of law in all respects, and take practical actions to prepare for the Party's 20th National Congress.
Xia Linmao, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Educational Work Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, delivering a speech, Photo by Lu Yunkai
Xia Linmao, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Educational Work Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, pointed out in his speech that since CUPL's establishment in 1952, it has been making great efforts to establish the rule of law in China and to supporting Beijing's development. CUPL has undertaken many tasks, including the advancement of the rule of law and education reform in Beijing. CUPL has cultivated a large number of talents for various sectors in Beijing, especially in political and legal fields, making outstanding contributions to Beijing's economic and social development. Xia hoped that CUPL could take its 70th birthday as an opportunity to further implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech and letter given to CUPL faculty during his visit to CUPL. He urged CUPL to uphold Xi's speech and letter as fundamental guidance for governing the Party branch and running the university. He also expected CUPL to fulfill the political mission of preparing for the Party's 20th National Congress, as well as studying and implementing the spirit of the Municipal Party Congress of Beijing. He hoped that CUPL could set a benchmark for strengthening the Party's political ability, implement the fundamental task of talent cultivation, and satisfy the major strategic needs of the State. He also hoped CUPL would make new contributions to improving Beijing's development in the new era and write a brilliant chapter in the great course of reinvigorating China through education and talent cultivation as well as promoting the rule of law in all respects.
Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, delivering a speech on behalf of domestic universities and colleges, Photo by Lu Yunkai
Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University (PKU), delivered a speech on behalf of universities and colleges in China. He pointed out that PKU and CUPL shared the same historical and ideological roots. In 1952, The Peking College of Political Science and Law was established in the Red Building of Peking University, situated at No. 29, Shatanbei Street (Wusi Street for now), Dongcheng District, Beijing. Since then, the two universities have been carrying forward the spirit of the Red Building and its distinctive “red” heritage, maintaining close cooperation in academic research and talent cultivation, and working together to promote the rule of law in China and in the great course of the reform and opening up. He mentioned that, at the new starting point, PKU stood ready to deepen practical cooperation with CUPL, work with partner universities to further study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law, and cultivate high-caliber talents and provide strong academic support for improving the system of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and for building a State of socialist rule of law.
Peter Salovey, President of Yale University, delivering a video speech on behalf of foreign universities and colleges, Photo by Yin Jianfeng
Peter Salovey, Yale University President, delivered a video speech on behalf of foreign universities and colleges, expressing heartfelt congratulations and good wishes for CUPL's 70th birthday. He commended CUPL's contributions to disciplinary development, talent cultivation, and international exchanges over the past 70 years. Peter said that Yale University had made practical cooperation with CUPL, one of the most influential universities in the world. He looked forward to promoting closer and more fruitful international cooperation with CUPL, hoping that the two universities' friendship could thrive like an evergreen tree.
Lawyer Tong Lihua, alumni representative, delivering a speech
Lawyer Tong Lihua, an alumni representative, thanked his alma mater for teaching and cultivating him, and recalled his participation in building the law-based government. He stated that CUPL's alumni worked in all walks of life all over the country making great contribution to legislative efforts, law enforcement, judicial practices and law abidance. As a member of the CUPL family, he shouldered the glorious mission and great responsibility, and wished his alma mater a prosperous and vigorous future that is built upon seven decades of endeavors.
Professor Li Zheng delivering a speech
Professor Li Zheng, a faculty representative, talked about his reflections on the advancement of the rule of law in China over the years from three aspects: cultivating moral integrity, being a proficient and virtuous teacher, and maintaining the balance of teaching and research. As a faculty member of CUPL, he aspired for the cultivation of high-caliber talents for the Party and the State, and for the continuous contribution for advancing the rule of law in China.
Standing at a new historical starting point, Prof. Hu Ming, Council Chair of CUPL, called on all faculty, staff and students of the university to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to be incentivized by President Xi's important observations about education and his speech during the inspection visit to CUPL, and to stride forward for a new era, for new missions and for new accomplishments. Council Chair Hu encouraged all CUPLers to build CUPL into a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, to cultivate the next-generation talents capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation, to make greater contributions to the advancement of the rule of law in China, and to build a modern socialist state in all respects.
Representatives of faculty, students and alumni expressing their blessings to commemorate CUPL's 70th Anniversary
As a special part of the celebration, seven representatives of faculty, students and alumni expressed their blessings to commemorate CUPL's 70th Anniversary. CUPL once established at the Red Building of Peking University, is now located along the Xiaoyue River and under the Mount Jundu. CUPL dedicates itself to the great journey of advancing the rule of law in China. CUPLers expressed their pride as members of CUPL and their determination to take up the mission of the rule of law in the new era.
The ceremony ended with the CUPL anthem
The splendor of the seven decades is attributed to the hard work and dedication of generations of CUPLers. On the day of the 70th birthday of CUPL, CUPLers of different generations gathered together. Upholding their loyalty to the motherland, their love for CUPL, their gratitude to their teachers and seniors, and their longing for the future, CUPLers recalled the stories of CUPL and expressed their love for the university.
In the end, the celebration of CUPL's 70th anniversary ended with the CUPL anthem.
Standing at the new historical starting point of the 70th anniversary of the founding of CUPL, with the historical accumulation and the mission of the times, CUPL will embark on a new journey and write a new glorious chapter.
