As a guest lecturer at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), I have 10 students in my class about local government, the media and volunteerism. They are very bright and have accomplished a great deal by succeeding in a very competitive education process to each this university. They asked excellent questions and showed a considerable understanding of world affairs. 

When teaching, I always forget the part where you run out of lesson plan and still have time to fill. Luckily I brought some animated videos as well as "I'm Just a Bill" from School House Rock to fill time and wake people up. Four hours of lecture is a lot, even with breaks. 

Afterward the students accompanied me to lunch in the campus cafeteria. It's an astonishing variety of food to me - where else can I watch cooks toss and spin and twirl dough for five kinds of dumplings? 

These photos show the classroom with state-of-the-art computer and projector equipment (too bad instructions are all in Chinese; good thing I have two smart Teaching Assistants); the cook serving dumplings in the cafeteria; and my students in the very busy cafeteria at lunch time. 

 

 

 

In addition to teaching nine four-hour classes about local government, I was asked to attend and make comments at the Third International Student Forum on Public Interest Law. 

Law students from around the world presented papers on social justice issue including volunteer protection, human trafficking, juvenile criminal law, child protection and sexual assault. 

The Vice President of the university welcomed participants by saying the university wants to encourage students in public interest law - but cautioned listeners that a train going too fast is more likely to derail, clearly a reminder that law and societies change slowly.

Students presenting came from Columbia, Princeton, Northwestern, Harvard, Whittier, and Brooklyn in the U.S., as well as from Australia and China. 

The students are appropriately optimistic and passionate. Students here at CUPL have worked for a number of years to assist victims of pollution, making a difference in lives of people in rural communities. They are interested in what other countries are doing in public interest law. 

Considering recent scrutiny of human rights lawyers in this country, I admire the university and the students for their commitment to the betterment of societies.

Student forum