Dean of the Faculty of Law of UM Prof. Zeng Lingliang, with his distinguished academic achievement, contribution, status and influence in law, was elected to be one of the first “Masters of Legal Science in Contemporary China” by the editorial board of the prominent legal publication in the Mainland, Masters of Legal Science in Contemporary China. The award presentation was held at the opening ceremony of the first Masters of Legal Science in Contemporary China Conference in Shanghai, 24-26 April 2009.

The editorial board of “Masters of Legal Science in Contemporary China” is consisted of more than 20 authoritative legal experts in the Mainland. In 2003, the editorial board elected 191 masters from the multitude of legal experts in the country, in an attempt to conclude and acknowledge the remarkable contributions that they have made in the vigorous development of law for the new China and the legal construction for the nation. Among these experts, there are pioneers and founders in the legal science of the new China, leaders of great attainment with an extensive body of publications in various areas of law; there is also a group of young, domestically and internationally reputed legal skeleton force. Each legal expert has achieved eminent academic excellence in their own right, with high status and extensive influence in the academic field.

Prof. Zeng has long been engaged in teaching and research of the theory and practice of international law and law of international organizations, with focus on the Law of European Union and the Law of World Trade Organization. He is one of the pioneers in the two new subject areas in China and his monographs-on European Union (European Community) law and WTO filled in the gap in the relevant field of the Mainland. Prof. Zeng was rewarded the title “Jean Monnet Chair of European Union Law nominated by EU Commission and Special-Term Professor under the Chang Jiang Scholar Programme of the Chinese Ministry of Education. He received awards on provincial and national level on several occasions, and named one of the Ten Outstanding young Jurists by China Law Society in 1999. In 2004, Prof. Zeng was recommended by the Chinese government to be the member on the Indicative List of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. His other affiliations include: Chairman of Chinese Association for European Legal Studies, Vice-Chaiman of the Legal Teaching Guiding Committee of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Vice Chairman of China’s Society of International Economic Law, Vice Chairman of China’s Society of WTO Legal Studies, etc. Prof. Zeng’s representative works include: “ Law of International Trade Organization” (monograph), “European Communities and Modern International Law” (monograph) and the revised “European Union and Modern International Law” (monograph), “Essentials of EU Lawin the New Perspective of the Treaty on a Constitution for Europe ”, along with over 10 papers published in prestigious domestic and foreign journals in recent years, such as “European Law Journal”, “Chinese Social Science”, “Chinese Legal Science” and “Legal Studies”, etc.

Prof. Zeng was invited to attend the sub-forum of the first Chinese legal masters conference “International Legal Studies of New China: a retrospect and prospect”, which was jointly organized by the editorial board of “Masters of Legal Science in Contemporary China” and East China University of Politics and Law. At the forum, Prof. Zeng presented views on issues in relation to the improvement of the old international economic order of the past few decades. His viewpoints were placed high importance of and had generated positive comments by representatives at the forum.

Caption: Dean of the UM Faculty of Law elected as the Master of Legal Science in Contemporary China