Tsinghua University Law School, located in Beijing, China, was founded in 1929 and is considered one of the top four leading law schools in China.  Georgetown Law is happy to announce that up to 5 Georgetown students will have the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at Tsinghua University Law School in fall 2009.

The campus of Tsinghua University is located in northwest Beijing, in the Haidian district which has been designated for universities for over half a century. It is next to the campus of Peking University and close to most of the other major universities in Beijing.  Line 13 of the Beijing subway stops right next to the campus at Wudaokou, surrounded by a student-friendly neighborhood of small restaurants, bookstores and Internet cafes.  Wudaokou is also known for its large number of international students, especially Asian overseas students. Wudaokou's popularity as an international student area is reflected in its large number of bars and nightclubs as well.

Tsinghua University’s campus is located on the former site of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) royal gardens and retains some Chinese-style landscaping as well as some traditional buildings, but many of its buildings are in a Western-style reflecting the American influence in its history. It is known throughout China for having one of the most beautiful campuses.

Among Chinese universities, Tsinghua is perpetually ranked as number one or two; it is China’s leading technological and scientific research center, similar in reputation and influence to MIT and CalTech in the U.S.  Tsinghua is the Chinese university where Vice President Al Gore lectured in China during his documentary movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Viewers can see the university lecture hall, with its well-known purple seats, as well as a residence hall. The banner on the ceiling, recapitulating Tsinghua’s university motto, encourages students to study and have strong character.

Georgetown students will be participating in the LL.M program in Chinese Law while at Tsinghua.  It is the first of its kind in China and is taught entirely in English.  Georgetown students will take classes with other foreign law students and legal professionals.  In addition to the U.S., students participating in the LL.M. program hail from a number of different countries including Australia, Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, France, United Kingdom, Kazakstan, Singapore, Estonia, Canada, and Israel.  There are about 30 students per class.  

2009 Academic Calendar:

27/28. Aug.	Thu./Fri.	Registration
31 Aug.	Mon	Orientation
1 Sep.	Mon.	Classes begin
1 Oct. — 7 Oct.	Thu.-Wed.	National Day vacation
8 Oct.	Thu.	Classes resume
11 — 17 Dec.	Fri.-Fri.	Classes end and Exam starts

Available Courses Fall 2009:

• Chinese Society and Chinese Law (2 credits)
• Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law (2 credits)
• Chinese Civil Law (3 credits)
• Chinese Civil Procedure(3 credits)
• Chinese Corporate and Bankruptcy Law (3 credits)
• Chinese Environmental Law (2 credits)

Grading Scale:

Tsinghua grades on a 100 point scale.  A passing grade is 60 points.  Georgetown gives credits for courses for which a student receives a passing grade. 

Housing

Georgetown students planning to study at Tsinghua are eligible for housing in University dormitories.  Dormitories are on Tsinghua’s large, park-like campus and located a short walk from the law faculty building and classrooms.

There are two options for dormitory space.  Students can reserve a space in a double room (shared) for RMB 40-45 ¥ ($5 - $6) per day.  The double room is equipped with air conditioning, telephone, color television and Internet access.  There is a common bathroom on each floor.  Students can also reserve a single room (private) for RMB 65-85 ¥ ($8 - $11) per day.  The single rooms also come with air conditioning, telephone, color television, Internet access, and private bathrooms. 

To live off campus, students must rent residential housing legally available to foreign residents and both the student and the landlord must register with the local police within 24 hours of a student moving into the residence. 

Application Time Line

 

Deadline to submit the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application to the OTP	March 18, 2009
Deadline for OTP to notify applicants if their Semester Abroad application for Tsinghua has been approved	March 25, 2009
Deadline for approved students to submit the following to OTP: Application form (fill out, print and submit to OTP) Resume Transcript Letter of Reference from the Law Center	March 30 , 2009
Deadline for Tsinghua to notify approved students if they have been accepted	April 22, 2009

Contact Person for Admitted Students

Ms. Camellia Liu

The L.L.M. Program in Chinese Law Room116, Law School (Mingli Building)

Tsinghua University, Haidian District

Beijing 100084 People's Republic of China

email: liujieying@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Tel: (8610) 62795941
Fax: (8610) 62795941

Estimated Budget

Tuition	$21,875
Health Insurance	$1,700
Student Visa	$150
Airfare	$1,700
Rent	$3,000
Food/ Utilities	$900
Liability Insurance	$90
Miscellaneous	$1,773
Local Transportation	$200
Abroad Insurance	$140
TOTAL	$31,528

For more information on the Tsinghua LLM in Chinese Law Program, including information on teaching staff, please visit their website at http://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/docsn/fxy/english/llmPrgm.htm

Tsinghua facilities are not necessarily all accessible to students with disabilities.  Students with disabilities should contact the Office of Transnational Programs.

After considering the material here and on the websites, any student interested in the Semester Abroad Program at Tsinghua University should seek the advice of Professor James Feinerman, the Semester in Tsinghua faculty advisor.  His telephone number is 202-662-9474 and his email is feinerma@law.georgetown.edu.

Students who are admitted to the program should consult with Professor James Feinerman before choosing courses.

Click here to read reports from past participants.