On September 12, 2025, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) Hubei Sub-Commission and the School of International Law of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL)  successfully held the 2025 China Arbitration Week “Meet International Arbitration on Campus” event in Wuhan.

The event opened with welcome remarks delivered by Gu Yan, Vice President of the Arbitration Court of CIETAC, and Chen Shi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of ZUEL. Keynote speeches were delivered by Professor Liu Renshan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of ZUEL, and Liu Tong, CIETAC arbitrator, Professor, and Director of the International Commercial Law Research Center of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) . Commentators included Shi Zhijun, CIETAC arbitrator and General Counsel of China First Metallurgical Group Corporation , and Wang Yongqiang, CIETAC arbitrator and Associate Professor of the School of Law of ZUEL. The event was chaired by Professor Xu Weigong, Dean of the School of International Law of ZUEL. More than 150 university faculty and students as well as arbitration practitioners participated in the event.

(Event site)

Chen Shi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of ZUEL, delivered a welcome speech. He pointed out that CIETAC, as the earliest-established and most influential commercial arbitration institution in China, has long provided efficient and professional dispute resolution services worldwide. The ZUEL attaches great importance to its cooperation with CIETAC. ZUEL and CIETAC jointly launch a master’s program focusing on foreign-related lawyers cultivation and international arbitration, invite seasoned arbitration practitioners to serve as mentors, and actively explore new models for cultivating international arbitration talents. He highlighted that the “Meet International Arbitration on Campus” event is an important reflection of the cooperation between CIETAC and ZUEL by offering students a valuable opportunity to gain direct exposure to international arbitration. ZUEL, he added, will continue expanding cooperation areas with CIETAC, to jointly strengthen the construction of international arbitration talents pool and make greater contributions to the advancement of China’s arbitration cause and the construction of foreign-related rule of law.

(Deputy Secretary Chen Shi delivering welcome remarks)

Gu Yan, Vice President of the Arbitration Court of CIETAC, delivered welcome remarks. He noted that CIETAC, as one of the most active and widely recognized international commercial arbitration institutions worldwide, has long been committed to promoting arbitration culture, practical innovation, and talent development. Through initiatives such as establishing the well-known “CIETAC Cup” arbitration moot competition, jointly building training bases with 36 universities at home and abroad, creating the CIETAC International Arbitration Institute, and developing high-level international platforms for academic exchange, CIETAC has formed a multi-tiered system for cultivating foreign-related arbitration professionals. He encouraged young students to seize the opportunities of the times, study international rules, and enhance their professional capabilities so as to contribute their youthful energy to the development of China’s arbitration cause and the reform of the global governance system. He added that CIETAC will continue deepening its cooperation mechanisms with universities, providing practical platforms for young talents and facilitating the passing of the torch of Chinese arbitration.

(Vice President Gu Yan delivering welcome remarks)

(Dean Xu Weigong moderating the event）

In the keynote speech session, Professor Liu Renshan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of ZUEL, gave a lecture on “The Functions of Arbitration.” He pointed out that China's arbitration has undergone a development process from drawing on international rules to independent innovation, and is currently committed to cultivating world-class arbitration institutions and continuously improving foreign-related arbitration service capabilities. He elaborated on four functional dimensions of arbitration in the construction of rule of law, Chinese style modernization, global governance, and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and emphasized that arbitration is not only a dispute resolution mechanism but also an important force in promoting rule-based governance, optimizing the business environment, and participating in the construction of global order. In response to the development of the digital era and new business formats, the professionalism and internationalization advantages of arbitration should be further leveraged through the coordination of legislation, judiciary, and talent cultivation, thereby providing solid support for building China into a nation with strong arbitration capabilities.

(Professor Liu Renshan delivering the keynote speech)

Liu Tong, CIETAC arbitrator, Professor of the School of Law and Director of the International Commercial Law Research Center of UIBE, delivered a keynote speech on “The Practical Development of International Commercial Arbitration.” He provided a systematic overview of key mechanisms and emerging trends in current international arbitration practice. He conducted an in-depth analysis of the efficient application of interim measures, practical innovations in emergency arbitration procedures, and the boundaries and challenges of party autonomy in modern arbitration systems. Drawing on typical domestic and international cases, Professor Liu further explored the balance between the enforceability of arbitral awards and judicial review, revealing the irreplaceable role of international arbitration in cross-border dispute resolution.

(Professor Liu Tong delivering the keynote speech)

Subsequently, during the panel discussion session, Shi Zhijun, CIETAC arbitrator, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of CFMCC, emphasized the significant role of arbitration in stabilizing the expectations of economic entities and enhancing market management capabilities. He highlighted its unique advantages in resolving emerging commercial disputes and underscored CIETAC’s key leading role by consistently upholding both commercial logic and legal logic in its practical work.

(Mr. Shi Zhijun delivering in panel discussion）

Wang Yongqiang, CIETAC arbitrator and Associate Professor of the School of Law of ZUEL highly commended Vice President Liu Renshan’s in-depth insights of arbitration from the perspective of global governance. He also acknowledged Professor Liu Tong’s profound insights into the latest developments in international arbitration, such as ad hoc arbitration and the emergency arbitrator system. He expressed optimism about the broad prospects for the development of arbitration in China.

(Associate Professor Wang Yongqiang delivering in panel discussion）

Su Sa, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission, delivered the closing remarks. She stated that the event achieved great success through the joint efforts of all parties. The event combined visionary top-level design, in-depth academic research and practice, as well as critical frontline experience. The event provided participants with a high-end learning platform featuring an international perspective, adding theoretical depth and youthful vitality to the 2025 China Arbitration Week. She emphasized that the Chinese era of arbitration is approaching and expressed hope that young students would contribute their voices to the development of arbitration in China.

(Deputy Secretary-General Su Sa delivering the closing remarks)

The 2025 China Arbitration Week “Meet International Arbitration on Campus” in Hubei concluded amid warm applause. The event served as an important practice for CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission to deepen “collaborative education” and support talent cultivation, as well as a concrete measure in response to the national strategy of strengthening the development of foreign-related rule of law. Moving forward, CIETAC Hubei Sub-Commission will continue to strengthen collaboration with universities, innovate talent cultivation models, and make new and greater contributions to building a higher-level team of foreign-related legal professionals and promoting the development of international arbitration. 

(Group photo of guests and student representatives）