On the morning of September 16, 2025, a delegation from KU Leuven, one of Europe's oldest universities and a leading Belgian institution, visited the Changning Campus. The delegation included Professor Bernard Henri TILLEMAN, Director of the Centre for Legal Methodology; Professor Wouter Louise J. DRUWÉ, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law; Professor Bert Lutgard J. KEIRSBILCK; and Researcher Vicky Van KELST from the Faculty of Law. They were welcomed by Professor ZHANG Lihong from the ECUPL School of Law and Mr. LI Yong, Deputy Director of theInternational exchange Center (Deputy Dean of the International School).
At the welcoming ceremony, Mr. LI Yong, Deputy Director of the International Exchange Center and Deputy Dean of the International School, extended a sincere and warm welcome on behalf of East China University of Political Science and Law to the delegation of faculty and students from the KU Leuven Faculty of Law. He stated that the visit of the KU Leuven delegation not only enriched the international academic atmosphere of the ECUPL campus but also marked the continued deepening of cooperation between the two institutions in the fields of legal education and cultural exchange. He emphasized that the collaboration between ECUPL and the KU Leuven Faculty of Law has a long history. The two universities first signed a student exchange agreement in 2018, which was successfully renewed in 2025 with significant revisions. The renewed agreement expanded the scope of exchange students from Law and Criminology to broader fields while maintaining the scale of two students per year. He wished the visit a complete success and hoped it would open a new, broader chapter forfuture cooperation between the two universities.
Professor TILLEMAN thanked ECUPL for the warm reception and emphasized KU Leuven's high regard for and expectations regarding the cooperation with ECUPL. Professor TILLEMAN expressed eager anticipation for deepening collaboration. He expressed hope that, building on the existing student exchanges, both sides could further explore new avenues of cooperation―such as jointly organizing summer schools, launching comparative law research projects, and promoting mutual visits for young faculty and academic workshops―in order to jointly address the challenges facing legal education and the development of the rule of law in the context ofglobalization. He believes that through sustained dialogue and practical cooperation, KU Leuven and East China University of Political Science and Law will undoubtedly work together to cultivate more outstanding legal talents with international perspectives, proficiency in international rules, and strongcross-cultural communication skills.
ProfessorZHANG Lihong, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the ECUPL School of Law, also delivered a speech.Professor Zhang highlighted that KU Leuven has not only been foundational in the development of the Belgian and broader European legal systems, but it has also profoundly influenced modern legal education in China. As he explained, among the first group of Chinese students to study law in Europe at the turn of the 20th century, many pursued their advanced degrees at KU Leuven.They brought back to China the institutional concepts, teaching methods, and academic achievements of the civil law system, particularly Belgian civil law and Roman law, providing important references for the construction of China's legal system and the enlightenment of modern legal education at that time. Therefore, it can be said that KU Leuven's legal tradition, through these pioneering scholars, indirectly contributed to theearly exploration of China's legal modernization, and its influence has been profound and enduring.
Followingthis, the Admissions Office of the International School provided a detailed introduction to the university's history, disciplinary characteristics, international development, and the various degree and non-degree programs offered to international students.
