Feedbacks for 2013 CUPL Evidence Science Summer School

               Monday, 25 November 2013 11:34

A total of 173 CUPL students participated in the 2013 Evidence Law and Forensic Science Summer School, of which there were 80 undergraduates, 68postgraduates and 15 doctoral students.

We video-recorded all four courses throughout the whole program this year, by which we collected abundant firsthand information for follow-up studies and research.

Overall, by learning and communicating with a world-class faculty, our students broadened their vision, improved language skill and deepened understandings to overseas culture. In this globalizing world,communication in an international background has become a skill our law students of a new generation should master. This summer school program provided not only a two-week study of foreign laws, but more importantlya platform forinternational communications. On this platform, different cultures, thoughts and customsinteracted and fused together. We collected feedbacks from the students and following is a summary:

Gains：

1. It deepenedour students’ understanding of evidence law, such asthe rule of relevance, the rule of hearsay and impeachment of the witness.

2. It was a great chance to direct communicates with a fully capable international facultyand improvingEnglish listening and speaking skills.

3. Group discussions led to much enthusiasm and encouraged the students to think independently and creatively.

4. The Q&A session/Socrates teaching methodis a new approach to the students, which really pushed students to think hard and do it in a way unfamiliar but important to them.

To be improved:

1. The curriculumlackedsystematicness.

2. CUPL should send morespecifiedrequirements regarding range and contentsof each course to the international faculty, thus will make thecurriculumin a more systematic and consist way.

3. A reading list oncorresponding courses should be provided to the students who are interested in the course and would like to explore more.

4. Some undergraduate students lackedrelevant basic knowledge, and they werenot competent forkeeping up with the coursesdue to a significant knowledge gap. For the next year, basic/prerequisite-reading materials shall be provided for the undergraduate students before the summer school starts, which may better prepare them for learning.

5. This summer school program should be notified ahead by more undergraduate and graduate students in and out of CUPL. Anyone who is interested in this summer school program shall have a channel to apply for it.

6. Time schedule of this summer school should be adjusted accordingly. For this year, the first week of the program was at the same time with the undergraduate’s final exams, which caused some serious problems. Class attendance of the first week was lower than 50%. Some undergraduates did not come to classroom just for the fear that they could no longer follow the professor simplybecause oftheirabsence of the first few classes.

Below aresome excerpts of comments(translated) from our students this year:

This program enabled me to get to know much more current theoretical researchachievements and new trends in evidence science, urged myself to reconsider some questions I had before and gave me a chance to gain answers directly from these well-known professors.

——Bo Pang, master student majored in Jurisprudence

In moot court,I felt likeI was in part of the Australian criminal procedure. I acted as a key witness, being cross-examined, which greatly improved my understanding on testifying.

——Peng Chai, master student majored in Jurisprudence

This program confirmed the necessity of international communication and cooperation of the research and training in evidence law.  We can draw experience from the advanced conceptions of evidence law in those developed countries under the rule of law. We are also be told by the Britain examples that the judicial activities should be flexibleanddiverse, that is to say, solve different problems in different ways correspondingly. There is no perfect legal system in the world. Therefore, a global outlook and comparative methodare the inevitable/wise choicefor contemporarystudies of evidence law.

——Wei Zhang, doctoral candidate majored in Evidence Law

Final Note: Rules and theories from different legal systems brought our students a brand new angle of views. From confusion at the beginning to the zealous participation afterwards, the transformation of our students in thinking is quite remarkable. It is believed that the rewards of this program may be far more than what we have just written done here. The way of legal thinking andmethodologiesacquired in this program would probably benefit the students a lot in their future legal career.