Recently, the Annual Conference of the Science and Technology Law Branch of the Tianjin Law Society was held in Weijin Road campus of Tianjin University. This conference was co-organized by the China Law Association on Science & Technology (CLAST), the Science and Technology Law Branch of the Tianjin Law Society, and the Institute of Science and Technology Law of the Tianjin University Law School. This year’s topic is “Innovation and the Rule of Law”. A group of distinguished scholars attended the meeting, including Duan Ruichun, Honorary President of CLAST; Yu Haoming, Full-time Vice President and Secretary of Party Leadership of the Tianjin Law Society; Huang Wushuang, Vice President of CLAST and Dean of the Intellectual Property College of East China University of Political Science and Law; Yuan Yingjin, member of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Tianjin University; Liu Yi, Deputy Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department; and Sun Youhai, Dean of the Law School. At the beginning of the conference, San Xiangjun, former Vice Secretary and Deputy Director of Party Group of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, and the President of the Municipal Law Society, gave an opening lecture, expressing wishes for the conference and welcoming the annual meeting in Tianjin.

Vice President Yuan Yingjin pointed out a series of accomplishments in his speech. In recent years, Tianjin University has always focused on the national strategic needs and the forefront of world science and technology development, adhered to an innovation-driven development strategy, and strengthened interdisciplinary integration. A group of experts and scholars carried out research on the key points of ecological civilization, bio-safety and legalization of artificial intelligence, and accumulated a wealth of materials and experience.. The forum, which focuses on the national strategic needs in technological innovation and the rule of law, is intended to explore the latest achievements in scientific and technological law. At the same time, Tianjin University will exploit multidisciplinary advantages and play a positive role in the field of sci-tech legislation to create a high-level legal platform for scientific and technological innovation and to promote the rule of law.

In his speech, Duan Ruichun, Honorary President of CLAST, pointed out that China is now in an important period of development and the socialist legal construction guaranteed the development of science and technology. CLAST, serving as a vital platform for combining science, law and industry, has made significant contributions to the development of legal construction. The 19th CPC National Congress marks a new era of comprehensive advancement of the rule of law and it still has a long way to go to construct a socialist legal system. Duan Ruichun expressed his hope that the Science and Technology Law Branch of the Tianjin Law Society can further strengthen self-construction, enhance endogenous motivation, abide academic orientation, create a high-level academic platform, and make contributions to scientific and technological legal construction.

Yu Haoming, Full-time Vice President and Secretary of Party Leadership of Tianjin Law Society, pointed out that the Science and Technology Law Branch of the Tianjin Law Society, as the backbone of the Tianjin Law Society, always maintains a correct academic orientation, guarantees the development of science and technology, and promotes judicial practice since its establishment. In the future, it will continue to provide a legal environment for socio-economic development by fostering legal talents and adhering to the correct political orientation.

Sun Youhai extended a warm welcome on behalf of TJULS to all of distinguished guests. He pointed out that in recent years, the Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping as the nucleus had attached great importance to technological innovation and put it in a core position. The rule of law is becoming more and more important for the driving of scientific and technological innovation. The conference, which reflects their confidence in TJULS, will be of significant impact on reinforcing legal construction and promoting the innovation and TJULS will continue to contribute to the development of a legal construct.

After the opening ceremony, with the theme of “Implementing the Important Thoughts of Xi Jinping and Promoting Technological Legal Construction”, more than 30 experts and scholars from various public institutions discussed three topics: Legal Research on Big Data, Legal Research on AI, Life Science & Intellectual Property.

By: Zheng Yafeng

Editor: Qin Mian and Keith Harrington