About us:

The legal situation in China has been a focal point of debate among foreign investors, politicians and human rights groups for decades, and yet there are only comparatively few academics worldwide who are really involved in the subject. Those who are sometimes appear to know little about what the others are doing, due to a lack of efficient academic networks and platforms in the field.

In 2006, on the initiative of Professor Marina Svensson (Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University), a group of some twenty researchers from all over Europe, and some of them from the U.S., Australia and the PRC, convened in Mölle to explore the untapped potential for mutual exchange, joint research and a European network of China Law Studies. After three days of lively discussion, the convenors shared the view that a European China Law Studies Association (ECLS) was a desideratum within the landscape of academic networks and associations in Europe.

The Association’s 2007 Annual Conference was held in Hamburg, organized jointly by Knut Benjamin Pißler (Max Planck Institute of Comparative and International Private Law) and Christiane Wendehorst. More than 60 legal scholars convened in order to discuss recent developments in Chinese Law.

The 2008 Annual Conference took place in Bologna (hosted by Marina Timoteo, University of Bologna and Collegio di Cina) and Turin (hosted by Gianmaria Ajani, Torino University and CASCC), covering seven panels (Chinese Law in a Global Context, Chinese Law between Politics and Society, Chinese Law and the Socialist Market Economy, Chinese Law Reforms, Rules and Judicial Innovation and Criminal Justice).

In June 2009 the fourth Annual Conference took place in Vienna, Austria. Around 80 participants from 15 European countries and China/Hong Kong/Macao participated in five panels: legal practice, environmental and energy law, human rights, commercial law, law and civil society. The conference was hosted by Christiane Wendehorst, Universität Wien, Austria.

The fifth conference took place in Copenhagen 17-18 June 2010 (see Copenhagen 2010).

The ECLS has now set up pages on both Facebook and LinkedIn. The ECLS Facebook pages are open for all, ECLS member and non-members alike, with the hope to develop a larger network of China law scholars, practitioners and interested persons.

The ECLS LinkedIn pages are set up exclusively for ECLS members with the purpose of creating a mutual platform for exchanges of thoughts, news, information and resources, and not the least - hopefully - project and research proposals, and other scholarly exchange.

We hope that these pages will be actively used by all members!

The current ECLS board consists of Hatla Thelle (Danish Institute for Human Rights, Copenhagen, President), Christiane Wendehorst (University of Vienna, Austria, Vice-President), Knut Benjamin Pißler (Max Planck Institute of Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg, Germany, Treasurer), Otto Malmgren (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo), Marina Svensson (Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University, Sweden), and Marina Timoteo (University of Bologna and Collegio di Cina, Italy).

If you are interested in joining the network, do not hesitate to contact Hatla Thelle (hth[a]humanrights.dk), Christiane Wendehorst (christiane.wendehorst[a]univie.ac.at) or any of the other members of the board for further information (see Contact). Barbara Lyszczarz (barbara.lyszczarz[a]univie.ac.at) at the Vienna office will also be happy to answer any questions you may have or to receive your completed application form.