Dean Wan Wan Meng and Associate Dean Russell Leu of Beijing Foreign Studies University School of Law visited Penn State Law recently, exploring ways to increase opportunities for J.D. and LL.M. students in Beijing. They took part in real-time videoconferencing in the Lewis Katz Building and learned about Penn State Law videoconference events with counterparts in Uganda, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Wan Meng and Leu were interested in learning more about the equipment, its design, and cost; replicating the same technology could help BFSU Law School expand its international reach.
"We are focused on creating global lawyers for China," said Wan Meng, scholar of arbitration, maritime law, and finance, who is optimistic about the legal market in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Wan Meng predicts growth in intellectual property, private investment, and state-owned enterprise work, especially as businesses are increasingly "risk-aware" and hiring lawyers for more transactions. "On the whole the GDP of legal services is expanding,” he said. Wan Meng predicts that legal employers in PRC will increasingly focus on hiring lawyers who have an LL.M. or JD. More than 600 law departments exist in PRC, but the national bar pass rate is 15 percent.
Wan Meng has led BFSU Law School for ten years. In addition to his academic work, he serves as expert counsel to the General Office of the National People's Congress of China and is an arbitrator for China International Economic and Trade Association Commission and China Maritime Arbitration Commission. Leu is managing attorney and chief representative of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and co-chairs the American Bar Association China Committee, International Section. He is a scholar of direct investment, intellectual property, and real estate. Leu predicts that the U.S. legal services market will adjust over the next ten years as demand increases for PRC lawyers.
Founded in 1941, BFSU is home to 350 students in LL.B., LL.M. and certificate programs. Scholars at BJFSU Law study the laws of the People's Republic of China and an array of common law, U.S. law, banking, and finance classes. Earlier this year, Penn State Law Professor Karen Bysiewicz and Dean Phil McConnaughay toured Beijing Foreign Studies University and met with legal scholars there; this week’s visit gave Penn State Law the opportunity to host.
"We were impressed with Dean Wan and BFSU students during a recent visit to Beijing," said Bysiewicz. "We are happy to host the dean here, and we see great opportunities for innovative joint projects with BFSU. Our technology helps us create sustainable partnerships that are game changing in international education."
This week, Penn State was ranked seventh nationally for the number of students studying abroad by the Institute of International Education and 15th for its international student enrollment. Penn State has a total of 5,715 international students enrolled University-wide and 5,207 at University Park.