The Max Planck Law Initiative ‘China, Law, and Society’ fosters scholarly exchange at the intersection of law and Chinese society. Designed to facilitate networking, communication, and collaboration, the Initiative connects legal scholars across the world to enhance understanding of China’s legal landscape.
Sandra Röseler, a doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Legal history and Legal Theory and one of the Initiative’s organizers, highlights the value of remote collaboration: ‘There’s always a way we can connect, and we appreciate contributions wherever they are based. That’s the advantage of meeting online and discussing remotely.’
Having organizers based in China is also valuable for building trust and fostering relationships with local scholars. In Sandra’s view, ‘being familiar with the university structure and having that local knowledge is very valuable,’ This connection facilitates engagement with senior academics and supports early-career researchers, offering a platform to present their work.
A recent innovation in the Initiative’s events is particularly noteworthy: the introduction of simultaneous translation, which helps to overcome language barriers that often impede scholarly exchange. Sandra recalls a lecture delivered by a senior Chinese professor, whose work reached a Western audience through real-time translation. ‘We managed to double our usual attendance, which was remarkable. It created an opportunity for a voice that might otherwise remain unheard unless made accessible in English.’
In practice, the pursuit of understanding is not unidirectional. While the Initiative aims to deepen comprehension of the Chinese legal system, it also enables Chinese scholars to engage with Western academics. Sandra observed that ‘the Chinese audience has been quite curious when listening to, for example, German professors’. Such reciprocity fosters mutual understanding, encouraging both sides to learn from each other’s methodologies and perspectives.
Digital outreach further amplifies the Initiative’s impact. Its presence on WeChat—a Chinese social media platform that Sandra describes as incorporating some networking functions similar to LinkedIn—facilitates the dissemination of information about events and academic opportunities. This platform has proven effective in connecting with scholars in China and boasts a broad reach with a substantial number of subscribers.