Call for Abstract – 'Seeing from Others': Oxford Chinese Law Discussion Group Conference for Junior Researchers (2025)

The Chinese Law Discussion Group (CLDG) at the University of Oxford is pleased to invite submissions of abstracts to be presented at its 2025 Conference for Junior Researchers, temporarily scheduled on 6th and 7th June 2025. As a student-run discussion group affiliated with the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, the CLDG explores a full range of issues with respect to the intersection/comparison of Chinese, civil, and common law and legal traditions as well as international law issues relating to China. The upcoming conference of 2025 seeks to offer junior researchers a valuable opportunity to showcase their recent research works and receive feedback from peers and more senior scholars, fostering academic growth and networking within this vibrant community. 

The theme for the conference this year is ‘Seeing from Others’. People know themselves better by taking others’ perspective. Lawyers are no exception, as law is indeed a matter of inter-subjectivity. Fundamentally, law is designed to reconcile relationships between some entities and ‘others’, encompassing individuals, interest groups, governmental bodies, and nations, and the art of effective communication and perspective taking has always been a central theme of law. Such features seem all the more significant in the increasingly pluralistic (yet also polarised) world today. Additionally, law is not merely a self-fulfilling language system; it grows in tandem with dynamic social realities, thereby necessitating the integration of external resources for a better understanding of its operation, evolution, and effect. ‘Seeing from others’ and positioning oneself is therefore an important requisite for resolving substantial legal questions, as well as developing rigorous methodologies for legal research. 

The conference welcomes any China-related submission that falls broadly within the theme of this year. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 

  • The Unseen in Domestic Legal Regimes: In both public and private law regimes (e.g. criminal law, constitutional and administrative law, anti-discrimination law; tort law, labour law, family law, etc.), whose interests may have been overlooked by the mainstream discourse? What forms does multi-subjectivity or inequality take in contemporary societies? What are the potential causes, and how should the law address such problems? 

  • Chinese Law and Lessons from Other Jurisdictions: What areas/issues of Chinese law might be able to benefit from the experience of other jurisdictions? How can these experiences contribute to solving the corresponding Chinese law issues? How should we face the universality and particularity in comparative law, particularly when comparing China with other jurisdictions? 

  • Regional and National Perspectives of International Law: What regional and national perspectives (e.g. those from the global south) may have been overlooked/downplayed in the identification, interpretation and/or application of certain customary rules, treaties, and general principles of law? How do they shape these international rules and principles? To what extent do they reflect distinct ‘approaches’ to international law, and what are the implications thereof?  

  • Non-State Actors and International Law: What non-state actors (e.g. NGOs; armed groups; corporations; ethnic, religious and gender minorities; disabled people; women and children) and their perspectives may have been neglected in the studies of international law? How are their interests affected by international law, and how is the making, interpretation and implementation of international law affected by them? 

  • Interdisciplinary Approaches: What intellectual resources could be borrowed from other disciplines? What are appropriate approaches to incorporate interdisciplinary knowledge or methods into legal research? 

  • Alterity and Legal Epistemologies: How does law facilitate the construction of the ‘other’, particularly in the context of colonialism? In what ways does law suppress other forms of normative governance?  

Eligibility 

Postgraduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and other early career researchers who are not tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply. We recognize the significance of interdisciplinary perspectives and warmly welcome applicants from diverse fields, including law, social science, and beyond. 

Submission and Selection 

For potential presenters, submissions should be made via this form by 1st April 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent to all applicants by the middle of April. Selected applicants will be invited to present their works at the Conference and receive comments from a panel of senior researchers. While submission of finalised papers is welcomed, it is not a requirement for participation.  

All submissions must include (1) an abstract of up to 300 words and (2) the author’s CV (of no more than 2 pages). Both documents should be written in English and submitted in PDF format. Submissions will be evaluated based on their quality, relevance to the conference theme, and potential for scholarly contribution. 

Logistical Information 

The conference is currently scheduled to be held in-person on 6th and 7th June 2025 at the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, while online participation will also be available for those who are unable to travel to Oxford. Participants will be responsible for the costs of travel and accommodation. The organisers will provide light lunches and tea breaks. 

For non-presenting attendees, please fill out this form by 4th June 2025. 

Contact Information 

For any enquiries, please contact us at oxfordchinalawdiscussiongroup@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your submission for the 2025 CLDG Conference! 

Please click here for the PDF version of the Call for Abstracts. For information about our conference last year, please see here and here.

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Chinese Law Discussion Group