News Archive

The Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis announces the formation of a Joint Center for Asian Law Studies in partnership with Renmin University of China School of Law in Beijing. IU School of Law—Indianapolis Dean Gary R. Roberts and Renmin University of China (RUC) School of Law Dean Han Dayuan signed the agreement establishing the Joint Center at a ceremony in Beijing on June 17 (pictured). While in Beijing, Dean Roberts also delivered a lecture at a conference held in conjunction with the law school’s summer study abroad program at RUC.

Dean Roberts praised the formation of the Joint Center as an important way for the two law schools to expand existing ties. The twelve-year partnership between IU School of Law—Indianapolis and RUC School of Law is “the longest continuous international relationship for both law schools,” he said. He added that the Joint Center will provide a unique opportunity for IU Law-Indianapolis professors to engage in scholarly activities with professors at RUC, which is the number one ranked law school in China.

In Indianapolis, the Joint Center will be directed by Professor Lloyd T. Wilson, Jr., who also co-directs the law school’s Chinese Law Summer Program. The director at RUC is Professor Ding Xiangshun, who earned his LL.M. degree from the Indiana University School of Law—Indianapolis in 2006. According to Wilson, “the Joint Center will promote the exchange of research and will allow U.S. and Chinese professors to engage issues from different perspectives.” He added that these goals were realized at the Joint Center’s first formal activity—a three-day Sino-U.S. Conference on Real Estate Law. In addition to facilitating exchanges of faculty, the Joint Center will benefit law students as the two schools plan to hold student-to-student forums via videoconferencing.