On the morning of 22 June, the opening ceremony of the 2026 UNIDROIT ATLC Summer School was held at Shangfa Hall, Mingjing Building, Songjiang Campus,East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL). Hosted by the AsianTransnational Law Centre of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and organised by ECUPL, the Summer School aims to advance the study and dissemination of international private-law rules, promote legal exchanges across Asia, and support the training of legal talent for foreign-related rule of law.
Professor Ignacio TIRADO, Secretary-General of UNIDROIT; Dr James DING, the law officer of the Department ofJustice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;Professor Guoqiang LUO, Deputy Chief Judge of the Fourth Civil Division of theSupreme People’s Court; Professor Meiling HUANG, attaché to the Secretary General andCo-Director of the ATLC, UNIDROIT; Ms Xiaoyan LAI, Director at the Office ofthe Special Commissioner of the Ministry of Commerce in Shanghai; Professor KaiXIAO, President of ECUPL; Professor Peixin LUO, Vice President of ECUPL; and Professor Tao DU, Dean of the International Law School of ECUPL, attended theopening ceremony. The ceremony was moderated by Professor Qiaofang WU, Director of the International Exchange Center and Dean of the International School of ECUPL.
On behalf of ECUPL, Professor XIAO extended a warm welcome to the guests,experts, scholars and participants from different countries and regions attending the ceremony. He noted that 2026 marks the centenary of UNIDROIT.Over the past century, UNIDROIT has continued to promote the modernisation,harmonisation and unification of private law, particularly commercial law,providing important institutional support for cross-border transactions,investment and financing, dispute resolution, and the protection of culturalproperty. ECUPL has remained committed to serving China’s rule-of-lawdevelopment, actively participating in international legal exchanges, and continuously strengthening its system for cultivating foreign-related legal talent, with a focus on training high-level, practice-oriented legal professionals and social governance professionals. The Summer School, he said,serves as an important platform for the deep integration of international rule-making practice and legal education, and will further promote mutual learning among different countries, jurisdictions and legal cultures.
In his address, Professor TIRADO stated that 2026 coincides with the centenary of UNIDROIT, and that this year’s ATLC Summer School forms an important part of UNIDROIT’s centenary celebrations. He expressed his gratitude to ECUPL for its warm hospitality and strong support, to the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy for their continued support, and to all colleagues involved in preparing the programme. He noted that, since its establishment in Rome in 1926, UNIDROIT has continued to respond to the evolving needs of commercial practice through its work on the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, digital assets and other areas. ATLC, he said, brings this mission into Asia, a dynamic legalregion, and promotes rule understanding, network building and the cultivation of young legal talent through programmes such as the Summer School. He encouraged participants to study deeply, exchange actively, and build lasting connections with peers from different countries and legal traditions over the coming two weeks, while jointly undertaking the mission of advancing legal harmonisation and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.
In his remarks, Dr DING stated that the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and UNIDROIT have maintained long-standing cooperation. During the first two days of this year’s Summer School, specialised training will be provided on common law and international arbitration, exploring the important role of UNIDROIT in connecting common-law and civil-law systems and in promoting the application of international arbitration rules. UNIDROIT will establish a liaison office in Hong Kong during Hong Kong Legal Week in November 2026, and some participants will also visit Hong Kong during the Summer School to gain first-hand insight into Hong Kong’s legal system and international legal practice. He noted that Shanghai, as an internationalcommercial and financial centre, provides a valuable setting forcross-jurisdictional and cross-cultural legal exchange, and expressed the hope that participants would deepen understanding, expand connections and strengthen cooperation through their studies.
In his address, Professor LUO introduced the work of Chinese courts in foreign-related civil and commercial adjudication and in the development of international commercial dispute resolution mechanisms. He stated that Chinesecourts attach great importance to foreign-related adjudication, continue to improve the system for the application of foreign-related laws, strictly fulfil obligations under international treaties, promote the recognition and enforcement of cross-border judgments, and actively refine the international commercial courts and the “one-stop” diversified international commercial dispute resolution mechanism. The Supreme People’s Court, he said, stands readyto further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with UNIDROIT and other international organisations, and to provide strong judicial support for high-level opening-up and the development of foreign-related rule of law.
At the opening ceremony, the guests jointly launched the 2026 UNIDROITATLC Summer School. Professor TIRADO presented the Summer School flag to the participant representative, and Professor XIAO and Professor TIRADO jointly presented ECUPL badges and UNIDROIT centenary commemorative badges to the representatives of each participant group. A participant representative then delivered remarks. After the ceremony, all guests and participants gathered for a group photo.
According to available data sources, this year’s Summer School brings together 102 participants from 32 jurisdictions, with a faculty team drawn from 10 jurisdictions. Centred on the content and application of UNIDROIT instruments, the programme covers topics including harmonisation across different jurisdictions, the Cape Town Convention and its Protocols, and the protection of cultural property. It involves 11 UNIDROIT instruments and several ongoing priority areas of work. The programme also includes visits and exchanges with institutions such as Shanghai courts and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, study visits to Hong Kong for selected participants, as wellas campus tours, urban cultural experiences and other practical components.Combining the development of rules with their interpretation and application,and integrating theoretical learning with practical engagement, the programmeis designed to enhance participants’ institutional understanding, comparative research capacity, practical application skills and ability to communicate across jurisdictions.
The holding of the Summer School represents an important practice through which ECUPL deepens international exchange and cooperation and serves the development of foreign-related rule of law. Taking UNIDROIT’s centenary development and the construction of the ATLC platform as an opportunity, ECUPLwill further expand its collaborative education mechanisms with international organisations, judicial organs, government departments and legal practice institutions; improve its foreign-related legal talent training system with ECUPL characteristics; and build a higher-level platform for international legal education and exchange. In doing so, ECUPL will make greater contributions to cultivating high-level foreign-related legal talent with an international outlook, a Chinese standpoint, professional competence and a strong awareness of rules, and to serving China’s high-level opening-up and exchanges and mutual learning among global rule-of-law civilisations.
