The Chinese-German Institute for Law (中德法学院(Zhongde Faxueyuan)) at the Chinese University for Politics and Law in Beijing (中国政法大学(Zhongguo Zhengfa Daxue), CUPL) is a joint institute with the CUPL and seven German cooperation universities: the Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University Frankfurt, the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, the University of Hamburg, the University of Cologne, and since 2014 the University of Münster and the Humboldt University of Berlin. The Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg manages a coordination office for all German cooperation partners. The institute exists in this particular form since 2005. Since October 2009 the institute is part of the research college for comparative law at CUPL.
The institute regards it as its taks to encourage and deepen the contact between Chinese and German jurisprudence especially in the domains of judicial education, research and construction of the Chinese system of law. The institute especially pursues the goal of raising and educating experts that are judicially notably qualified, experienced in the field of comparative law, are well-schooled in Civil, Criminal and Public Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union but are also willing to conduct intensive research in Germany.
The institute offers a masters course with the degree "Masters in Comparative Law" and a PhD-programme in the area of comparative law. Both programmes serve supporting the junior academic staff.
The institute's directorate is constituted with a German and a Chinese director as well as a Chinese and a German deputy director. The German director is a professor from one of the German cooperation universities, the German deputy director functions in Beijing and is appointed by the German cooperation universities.
Most of the lecturers have worked or studies abroad, especially in Germany, or were guest professors at universities abroad. Almost all of them speak German and have a close commitment to Germany. Moreover, the German deputy director teaches at the institute. The teaching is complemented by guest lecturers of the German cooperation universities. The teaching and research areas of the staff at the institute involve Legal Philosophy, Legal Theory, Sociology of Law, Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Administrative law, Civil and Trade Law, Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Procedural Law, European Law and International Law.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) promotes the institute as a centre of legal research with yearly 20 partial scholarships for Chinese students, financial assistance to the German guest lecturers, partial financing of the German deputy director and a DAAD-lectuerer as well as financial assistance to the German language education.
