Beijing Foreign Studies University and China University of Political Science and Law held the 2026 graduation ceremony for their Joint Undergraduate Program in English and Law on the morning of June 24 at BFSU’s East Campus.
The ceremony brought together Liu Xinlu, Vice President of BFSU; Liu Yanhong, Vice President of CUPL; representatives from the academic affairs offices and participating schools of both universities; faculty members; and students from the graduating class.
Established as a cross-university program in transnational legal studies, the joint program combines BFSU’s strengths in foreign languages and intercultural education with CUPL’s expertise in legal education. Students follow a four-year “1+1+1+1” model, studying alternately at the two universities, and complete an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes English, legal English, international law practice, international economic law, and comparative legal studies. Graduates receive a joint bachelor’s degree in English and law.
In his remarks, Liu Xinlu said that the graduates had spent four years redefining what interdisciplinary training can mean. The program, he noted, is not a simple addition of language and law, but an education in moving between legal systems, cultures, and ways of reasoning. He encouraged the students to develop real professional competence, to contribute on the international stage, and to build their core strengths through deep understanding, sound judgment, and humanistic care in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Liu Yanhong described the program as a model platform for training high-level talent in international legal affairs. Over the past four years, she said, the two universities have worked together on faculty collaboration, shared courses, and practical training. She urged the graduates to hold fast to their values, continue learning throughout their careers, and take up the responsibilities of a generation that will help shape global rules and institutions.
Faculty representatives from both universities also addressed the graduates. Guo Shuai, Associate Professor at CUPL, spoke of the students’ growth and encouraged them to remain committed to the rule of law while engaging confidently with the wider world. Liu Mengying of BFSU noted that the joint program had taught students not only to understand different voices, but also to grasp the logic behind them. She encouraged the class to remain clear-minded and open, seeking common ground amid complexity while respecting difference.
Student representatives Wang Xiaotong from CUPL and Zhai Shiyu from BFSU reflected on their four years of study across the two campuses. They expressed gratitude to the faculty and staff of both universities and said the program had given them more than two bodies of knowledge: it had given them the confidence and breadth of mind to face a complex world.
The ceremony also featured a graduation video highlighting the achievements of the 2022 cohort, followed by a group photo at the entrance of BFSU’s School of English and International Studies.
As the second graduating class of the joint program, the 2026 graduates leave with training in both language and law, and with a shared mission to serve as bridges across legal systems, cultures, and communities.
