Starting from 3 June 2020, the Open University of China (OUC) will launch a series of live open courses on the civil code, inviting well known teachers and experts to give detailed interpretations of the civil code. The public welfare courses with the goal of popularising the law among teachers and students, as well as social organisations, will be aired on many online live streaming platforms.

On 28 May 2020, the third session of the 13th National People's Congress voted to adopt the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China. As a leader of distance education in China, the OUC has been working hard on the first line of online education popularising law in China for more than 40 years. At the historic moment of the promulgation of the civil code, the OUC responded actively to general secretary Xi Jinping's call for "extensive development of the work of popularising the civil code" and launched a series of live courses on the civil code.

The renowned teachers and experts invited to the live courses include Professor Yin Tian, Professor Ma Yinan, and Professor Wang Cheng from Peking University; Professor Zhou Youjun from Beihang University; and Professor Zhao Xudong and Professor Zhai Jiguang from China University of Political Science and Law. These famous experts and scholars in the civil law field who worked on the Civil Code will interpret each part of the civil code in detail in order to help learners accurately understand the general information. In addition, Associate Professor Ye Zhihong and Dr. Xue Shan from the OUC will present their interpretations. The first lecture will be given by Professor Zhou Youjun on the institutional development of the general principles of the civil code.

By sharing high-quality resources, the open classes will help to create an atmosphere of respecting and abiding by the law in society, contribute the force of the OUC to the advancement of rule of law, and demonstrate the obligations and responsibilities of the OUC as a university of the new era.

The live courses will last until the end of June. Please follow the OUC’s official WeChat account, official website, and the OUC learning network for the latest information about the courses.

By Xue Shan, OUC