IU McKinney Welcomes University of Bergen as an Affiliate of the Chinese Law Summer Program
12/10/2015
IU McKinney School of Law is pleased to announce that beginning in the summer of 2016, the University of Bergen Faculty of Law in Norway will affiliate with the Chinese Law Summer Program (CLSP), which takes place annually at Renmin University of China Law School in Beijing. IU McKinney’s program was established in 1987, making it one of the first summer programs in China after the opening-up policy. The University of Bergen joins the CLSP’s four other affiliates: Boston College Law School, University of Minnesota Law School, University of Oklahoma College of Law and Tennessee College of Law.
Each summer students from across the United States and from several foreign countries join Professor Tom Wilson, Director of the CLSP, for two to four weeks of course work, academic events, and cultural activities in China’s capital city.
Concerning the participation of the University of Bergen in the CLSP, Professor Wilson says, “I am very happy to welcome the University of Bergen as formal affiliate of the Chinese Law Summer Program. The CLSP provides not only high-quality instruction on Chinese law but also provides unique opportunities for students to meet, learn from, and socialize with Chinese students. The presence of students from the University of Bergen will add another dimension to cross-cultural experience provided by the CLSP.”
The law school of the University of Bergen offers a five year master of laws program, has 2,000 students, and employs approximately 100 persons in academic and administrative positions. It focuses on research and teaching within a variety of legal areas, but is particularly well known for faculty expertise in criminal law and criminal theory, as well as senior researchers focused on human rights law and welfare law. The law school has strong research environments in private law, and its research areas of priority include competition law and EU law, as well as intellectual property law.
Bergen’s law school is known for its emphasis on international activities, research and partnerships across the globe, welcoming more than 150 international exchange students each year. It also encourages its students to acquire intercultural competence by learning about other legal cultures. Around half of the students at the University of Bergen study abroad for one or two semesters as part of their law degree.
Head of International Relations at Bergen, Ingrid Tøsdal, says, “The law school is very enthusiastic about partnering with IU McKinney’s Chinese Law Summer Program and we are convinced that participating in this program will be a unique and valuable experience for our students.”
Show in photo from left to right: Vice Dean for Education Bjørnar Borvik, Dean of the Faculty of Law Asbjørn Strandbakken, Professor Tom Wilson, Faculty Director Øystein Iversen and Head of international relations, Ingrid Tøsdal.
