On November 4, 2015, at the invitation of Shanghai Academy, Zhang Guangxing, Fellow Researcher of the Institute of Law, CASS, and deputy chief editor of the Chinese Journal of Law, visited Shanghai University Law School and delivered a lecture for teachers and students themed “Topic Selection and Writing of Legal Theses”. Prof. Li Fengzhang, Executive Vice President of Shanghai University Law School, presided the lecture.

Zhang Guangxing stressed that legal thesis writing should have thoughts and viewpoints and could express, communicate and exchange views with others. The topic of good theses must possess problem consciousness, innovation consciousness and quality consciousness. The mission of Chinese legal scholars was to make a study on such “real problems” that were native to China, distinctive, long-term and of great importance to law development, on the basis of gaining further insight into the status quo of China, mastering law, studying legal precedents and inspecting law enforcement effect. The problem consciousness first of all found its expression in Chinese problem consciousness, avoided the homogenization of Chinese and foreign problems, and shouldn’t indiscriminately copy foreign theories and mechanically use them to solve Chinese problems. The innovation consciousness rested with new viewpoints, new material, new methods and new perspectives. The same problem that adopted different viewpoints or methods or material could obtain most significant results. The quality consciousness came from author’s high-standard self-requirement and encouragement, and could be surpassed but not be bypassed.

In the field of writing forms and skills, it was imperative to distinguish whether the problem was primary or secondary, false or true, hot or cold, and new or old. In the field of expression, it was imperative to have clear viewpoints, explicit concepts, abundant arguments, rational structure and distinctive clues; it must not only be logical and systematic but also academic and concise. In the field of thesis titles, it was imperative to express clear logic, have refined characters, accurate wording and straightforward words to comprehensively elaborate one’s own thoughts and viewpoints through argument and debate. Finally, its conclusion should conform to the actual situations of China, the philosophy of law and the experience of life, and could solve current problems or problems in the near future.

Zhang Guangxing successfully built a strong academic environment and won thunderous applause for his humorous and witty conversation, classic and smart examples and coherent and elaborative reasoning.

By Li Shunfeng