On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), one of its four founding faculties, the Faculty of Law, is also celebrating its 20th birthday!
Established in 2000, the MUST Law Faculty offers the undergraduate program of Bachelor of Laws; six master’s degree programs including Master of Laws, Juris Master, Master of Laws in Criminal Justice, Master of International Economic and Commercial Law, Master of International Arbitration, and Master of Financial Crime and Regulation; the Doctor of Philosophy in Law degree program in 9 different majors, including Legal Theory, History of Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Civil Law and Business Law, Criminal Law, Economic Law, International Law, Legal Procedure, Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Law. In accordance with the principle of “one country, two systems”, the Law Faculty provides parallel courses of Macao Law and Chinese Mainland Law in its Bachelor of Laws program, and the postgraduate programs feature comparative and cross-domain laws as their main content. The Law Faculty if the first batch members of the Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao Law Education Alliance and the young members of the Asian Law Institute. Together with the Macao Anti-Money Laundering Specialists Association, it also established the Macao Exam Centre of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) with the authorization from the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and initiated the Master of Financial Crime and Regulation program, aiming to enhance the regional talent pool of anti-money laundering and financial regulation and to serve the Macao society.
The Law Faculty has several research institutions, including the Research Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, the Legal Practice and Education Centre, and Macao Centre for Law and Finance. It also has two state-level institutions. One is the Macao Intellectual Property Research Centre, jointly built by the Faculty and the Intellectual Property Study Centre of the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. This Centre is also a key partner research base outside Mainland China for humanitarian and social sciences recognized by the Ministry of Education. The other is the Macao Research Centre for the Judicial Training Base of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Taking the advantage of Macao’s traditional and unique geographic position, the Faculty actively carries out foreign academic and teaching exchange activities, and has built up effective cooperative relationships with foreign academic institutions and professional organizations.
The School of Law has formed unique and distinctive characteristics in the historical context of multiculturalism and the trend of inter-regional legal development. It is continuously improving its overall strength and academic influence, and it is committed to cultivating legal professionals who embrace the ideals of the rule of law, are virtuous and talented, and are dedicated to serving society and the public.
The event series for the 20th anniversary of the MUST Law Faculty began in October this year, fully demonstrating the rapid growth and vigorous development of the Law Faculty in the past 20 years.
1. Inauguration Ceremony of the MUST Faculty of Law Alumni Association
The inauguration ceremony of the MUST Faculty of Law Alumni Association was held on October 28 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 101, Block N, on MUST campus. It is the second faculty alumni association established under the General Association of Alumni of Macau University of Science and Technology. It is also dedicated to strengthening the ties between alumni and the University, as well as to strengthening the ties between the Association and the General Association to promote each other’s further development. President Lao Chak Kuong, Vice President Liu Lic Ka, Chairman Chang San Chi, Supervisor Zhu Yu and other members of the first Board of Directors and Supervisors of the Alumni Association were sworn in by Vice President of MUST, Mr. Pang Chuan, Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor Fang Quan, and other guests and alumni. During the ceremony, Vice President Pang Chuan presented the flag of the MUST General Alumni Association to the President of the Law Faculty Alumni Association, Mr. Lao Chak Kuong, symbolizing the official establishment of the Association. The Law Faculty also appointed Barrister Vong Hin Fai and Barrister Ling Hsião Yun as Honorary Presidents of the Association; Barrister Lei Wun Kong as Honorary Advisor; and Mr. Chong Peng Kun as Honorary Alumni. At the same time, the MUST General Alumni Association published a special issue for the Law Faculty Alumni Association in its magazine, “Jing Hai Xue Ren”.
President of the MUST General Alumni Association, Mr. Pang Chuan (front row right), Presenting the General Association’s Flag to the President of the MUST Faculty of Law Alumni Association, Mr. Lao Chak Kuong (front row left)
Group Photo of All Guests and Alumni Attending the Ceremony
“Jing Hai Xue Ren”, Special Issue for the Faculty of Law Alumni Association
2. Shizi Gate Master Lecture
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and its Law Faculty, the 18th session of the Shizi Gate Master Lecture (the first session of the academic year 2020-2021) was held on the morning of December 2 in the N101 Lecture Hall on campus. Mr. Teng Lin Seng, Co-Chairman of the Alliance for Financial Stability with Information Technology (AFS-IT), a non-profit organization based in Hong Kong, was invited to invited to deliver a lecture titled “Anti-Money Laundering and Digital ID”. The Shizi Gate Master Lecture series are supported by the Foundation of Macau University of Science and Technology.
Other attendants of the event include: Ms. Tam Sok I, Head of the Insurance Supervision Department of the Monetary Authority of the Macao SAR Government; Mr. Choi Fat Chong, Chief of the Banking Supervision Department of the Monetary Authority of the Macao SAR Government; Mr. Lao Chak Kuong, Founding President of the Macao Anti-Money Laundering Professional Association and Founding President of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law of the Macau University of Science and Technology; Ms. Leong On Leng, Vice President of the Macao Anti-Money Laundering Professional Association; Au Ieong Iu Kong, President of the Board of Directors of the Macao Anti-Money Laundering Professional Association; Ms. Wu Xunzhou, Board Member of the Macao Anti-Money Laundering Professional Association; Ms. Oriana Inácio Pun, Partner at Pun, Choi & Chan; Ms. Lou Sio Fong, Partner at Lou Sio Fong Lawyers & Associates; Professor Fang Quan, Dean of the MUST Faculty of Law; Assistant Professor Mou Xiaobo, Program Director of the MUST Faculty of Law. Assistant Professors, Peng Yunpeng and Wang Jia, together with over 100 students from the Law Faculty also attended the lecture.
Chairman Teng Lin Seng (six from right) and All Guests and Faculty Members
Chairman Ding Giving the Lecture
3. Shizi Gate Law Forum
Event series for the 20th anniversary of the University also featured the fifty-second session of the Shizi Gate Law Forum (the second session of the academic year 2020-2021) which took place on the morning of December 4, 2020, on campus. The theme of this forum was “Legal Protection of Cultural Heritage”. On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Centre of Macao on the World Heritage List, the theme of this forum, “Legal Protection of Cultural Heritage”, has become one of the most important issues of concern nowadays. During the forum, Professor Li Weifang introduced the landmark Mahdi case of the ICC (International Criminal Court) which imposed criminal punishment on the intentional destruction of cultural heritage in armed conflict and analyzed the relationship between the destruction of cultural heritage and international crimes and other important issues. Researcher Li Yuxue analyzed the legal system and problems of architectural heritage protection in Mainland China and proposed to improve the provisions of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage regarding the criteria for the recognition of cultural heritage, as well as to establish a preliminary procedure for the assessment and recognition of architectural heritage for renovation projects of old urban areas and housing expropriation if the relevant areas are historical sites. Dr. Hu Shanchen advocated for the improvement of the standardization and operability of relevant laws and regulations, and the clarification of the interface between legislation and conservation management plans, taking into account the development, status and problems of the current local legislations on the protection of world cultural heritage in Mainland China.
Photo from Event Venue
4. Guest Lecture
The lecture “Analysis of Difficult Criminal Cases” was successfully held on December 3, 2020 in Room R506 of the Faculty of Law of Macau University of Science and Technology. The lecture was delivered by Mr. Li Jianjun, a retired senior criminal police officer of Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department. Mr. Li is also the Vice President of Guangzhou Neutral Legal Service Society. During the lecture, Mr. Li Jianjun analyzed difficult criminal cases through his own practical experience and encouraged students to strengthen their logical thinking ability and to become legal professionals that not only have legal talents but also embrace higher moral values.
5. Intellectual Property Law Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (IPLAG) 2020 Annual Conference
The Intellectual Property Law Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (IPLAG) 2020 Annual Conference and the “Macao Forum for Intellectual Property”, organized by IPLAG and hosted by the Faculty of Law of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Macao Intellectual Property Research Centre, was held on December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Lecture Hall 101, Block N of MUST. The Annual Conference was supported by the Macao SAR Government Higher Education Fund and the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation. Before the forum started, Honorary Director of Macao Intellectual Property Research Center, Distinguished Professor of the MUST Law Faculty, and Honorary Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Research of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Professor Wu Handong, presented Professor Fang Quan and Associate Professor Yi Zaicheng with the appointment certificates to become part-time researchers of the Center for Intellectual Property Research of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and delivered a keynote speech entitled “International Changes of the Intellectual Property System and China’s Responses”. Nearly 30 experts and scholars from Peking University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Guangzhou University, Shenzhen University, Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, South China Normal University and local universities, institutions and law firms from Macao presented and participated in discussions on three themes of the Conference: “Theoretical Research on Intellectual Property System”, “Intellectual Property Innovation and Protection Practice”, and “Intellectual Property Industry, Law, and Policy in the Greater Bay Area (Macao)”. In the afternoon of December 9, the third meeting of the Alliance Board was held, during which the representatives unanimously agreed to approve six institutions, including the Peking University Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Institute of Intellectual Property, to join the Alliance as new institutional members of the Board. The number of governing institutions of the Alliance reached 33.
Group Photo of Guests and Speakers
Group Photo of Guests and Participants
6. The Faculty of Law Brochure
A special editing committee within the Law Faculty completed a bilingual brochure to demonstrate its development and achievements during the past 20 years. The brochure includes eights sections: Introduction to the Law Faculty; Milestones; Successive Deans; Academic Development and Talent Cultivation; Research and Scholarly Activities; Collaborations and Communication; Social Services, and Alumni Activities.
