On the afternoon of December 5, 2024, Professor Zhang Falian, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), Qian Duansheng Chair Professor, and doctoral supervisor, delivered an insightful Party lecture titled “Aligning with Foreign-Related Rule of Law Talents Cultivation: The Essential Role of Minor Language Faculty” to faculty Party members of the Minor Language Branch Party Committee in Room 719 of the Teaching and Library Complex Building.
First, Vice Dean Zhang Falian analyzed the challenges and opportunities posed by the current international landscape for foreign language disciplines, particularly minor language programs. With the advancement of numerous Belt and Road Initiative projects, he noted that professionals in minor languages hold significant potential. However, traditional foreign language disciplines face developmental bottlenecks in the new era, as market demands drive innovation and reform. He urged minor language faculty to align their teaching, research, talent cultivation, and practical applications with the needs of foreign-related rule of law education, tapping into their strengths to better serve the nation’s strategic goals in foreign-related rule of law.
Second, Vice Dean Zhang emphasized the critical role of logical reasoning in effectively narrating China’s legal stories and advancing foreign-related rule of law. With growing global demand for legal foreign language experts, he stressed the importance of nurturing talents proficient in international rules, skilled in negotiations, and capable of handling foreign-related legal affairs. Such professionals, he argued, are essential for amplifying China’s voice in international discourse, facilitating effective communication, promoting legal diplomacy, and safeguarding national interests.
Third, Zhang highlighted that legal foreign language proficiency is the foundation and key to cultivating foreign-related rule of law talents. He called on minor language faculty to actively respond to the national call for developing such talents by integrating their linguistic expertise with legal education. This could involve compiling legal foreign language textbooks in their respective languages and exploring interdisciplinary research and practices that combine minor languages with legal translation.
Finally, Vice Dean Zhang engaged in a warm and in-depth discussion with faculty members, patiently addressing their questions and suggestions. Inspired by his longstanding dedication to legal foreign language education, the faculty expressed their resolve to contribute to the nation’s foreign-related rule of law talent development. They pledged to uphold the School’s “Foreign Language + Law” educational philosophy, leveraging their disciplinary strengths to advance this critical mission.
The lecture underscored the pivotal role of minor language faculty in bridging linguistic and legal expertise, reinforcing CUPL’s commitment to producing globally competitive talents equipped to navigate the complexities of international rule of law.
