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US-China Partnership for Environmental Law


Academic Exchanges

Group photo from China.Chinese faculty, students, and legal professionals visit VLS to participate in research projects, classes, and other activities that advance the main objectives of the program. These educational efforts teach Chinese individuals and institutions to become more effective problem solvers in the field of environmental and energy law and policy. Chinese law students have the opportunity to attend Summer Session classes at VLS. Law faculty and legal professionals will have the opportunity to participate in academic residencies of various lengths at VLS.

 

Student Exchanges

Collaborative Projects with Sun Yat-sen University December, 2007

Five Vermont Law School students traveled to Sun Yat-Sen University Dec. 21 - 30, 2007, to participate in collaborative projects with their SYSU law student partners. The five student teams are working on the following topics:

  1. The Clean Development Mechanism in China: Assessing the Tension Between Development and Curbing Anthropogenic Climate Change (Jack Sautter and Jeanne Li)
  2. Unmasking Chinese Business Enterprises: Using Information Disclosure Laws to Enhance Public Participation in Corporate Environmental Decision Making (Timothy Riley and Huiyan Cai);
  3. Providing China’s Expanding Industry With a Cleaner Energy Source: Fostering “Energy Efficiency” as the “First” Fuel Through Energy Service Contracting (Natalie Firestine and Wencui Luo)
  4. Green Incentives in China’s Enterprise Income Tax: China’s Increasing Use of Market Mechanisms to Control Pollution (Joshua Belcher and Huanyan Zhang)
  5. The Progression of Property Rights with "Chinese Characteristics" (Camille Dalmacio and Fan Yang)

In addition to meeting each other in person, they advanced their collaborative projects and gave presentations to the SYSU law school community.

Summer Program May—August, 2007

During the 2007 summer, VLS hosted three Chinese students from SYSU law school for attendance in the VLS Environmental Law Center’s Summer Session.

Cheng Li
Cheng Li is an LLM candidate majoring in international law. His research interest is in international environmental law as well as trade and environment.
“The summer session gave me the opportunity not only to experience the real life of law students in an American law school, but also to explore major issues and hot topics in the field of environmental law with the help of outstanding experts. I really enjoyed it!”

Ningfei Qin
Ningfei Qin is an LLM candidate majoring in administrative law. Her research interest is in environmental information disclosure.
“The VLS summer program was such an inspiring experience. In addition to gaining a general understanding of environmental law in the U.S., I learned how to improve public participation and to fight for environmental justice.”

Qing Chen
Qing Chen is an LLM candidate majoring in environmental law. His research interest is in energy law and climate change.
“The courses at VLS were fabulous! I was very glad to have the opportunity to study there. The teachers were all very professional and experienced. In classes, we had extensive, thought-provoking discussions on environmental law, energy policies, and climate change. It was very helpful and I enjoyed the classes very much.”

Faculty Exchanges

SYSU Professor
Danni Liang
SYSU Professor Danni Liang is currently in academic residency at VLS from February 2008 to May 2008.









SYSU Professor
Bo Jiao
SYSU Professor Bo Jiao completed an academic residency at VLS from September 2007 to February 2008. Jiao is an associate professor of law at Sun Yat-Sen University and specializes in Western philosophy of law. She received her doctor of laws in jurisprudence from Renmin University of China, a master of laws in law theory from Jilin University, and a bachelor of laws in economic law from China University of Political Science and Law.
“The diversity of courses offers an expansive and intensive study of environmental issues. The past five months at VLS were wonderful and very helpful. In particular, Professor Firestone’s environmental law course provided excellent insights into alternative teaching methods… Also, there were many excellent resources provided by the VLS library, so that allowed me to finish my research. Everyone was very friendly; I like this school very much.”

SYSU Professor
Dejin Gu
SYSU Professor Dejin Gu was at VLS for an academic residency from July 2007 to January 2008. Gu is an assistant professor of law at Sun Yat-sen University and specializes in environmental law. He received his Doctor of Laws in International Environmental Law, a Master of Laws in Environmental Law, and a Bachelor of Laws in Sociology from Wuhan University.
“The frequency of workshops was exciting. I enjoyed sharing in wonderful experiences with learned scholars, diligent officials and righteous justices. The productive semester did not only benefit the innovation and education of environmental protection and justice, but also contributed to strengthening and building upon the important partnership between VLS and SYSU, both of whose faculty are passionately devoted to supporting a green and sustainable future around the world.”

SYSU Professor
Li Zhiping
SYSU Professor Li Zhiping’s residence at VLS as a visiting scholar in 2006 was made possible by a grant from the Lingnan Foundation.