Experts urge stronger legal education among BRI countries

Legal experts from China, Central Asia and South Asia have reiterated the importance of enhancing legal education and talent exchange, calling for stronger development of the rule of law and more efficient dispute resolution mechanisms under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The experts made the remarks while attending a two-day China — Central and South Asia Rule of Law Forum, which was hosted by the China Law Society in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Thursday.

Under the initiative, large-scale projects not only require financial support and engineering expertise, but also solid legal protection, according to Ushulova Sofia Ramazanovna, director of Central Asia, Russia & Kazakhstan Law Research Center at the Silk Road Institute for International and Comparative Law at Xi'an Jiaotong University and council member of the Russia-China Law Society. She emphasized the specialized nature of providing such protection and suggested joint education programs, increasing exchanges and establishing an expert database among BRI countries and regions to create a comprehensive ecosystem for legal talent cultivation.

Abdullaev Nodir Abdullakhayevich, a professor at the Tashkent Oriental State University of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said future cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in the fields of technology and education necessitates the cultivation of a specialized talent pool to effectively offer legal support for trade and investment projects.

He added the development of the initiative also requires the training of high-quality talent with comprehensive skills — they need to be proficient in foreign languages, possess legal knowledge and have cross-cultural communication abilities.

"We've begun strengthening the cultivation of high-end, application-oriented and interdisciplinary legal professionals with expertise in foreign-related affairs," said Zhang Shuguang, a professor from Xinjiang University.

"The ultimate goal of the education is to serve our country's strategic needs, safeguard national interests and contribute to the reform and development of the global governance system," he said.

While highlighting the importance of mastering domestic laws and international rules, he suggested that universities in Xinjiang should also focus on cultivating talent in regional legal research pertaining to Central Asia and enhancing students' practical legal skills through simulated cross-border commercial arbitration.

According to him, since 2023, a number of students from the law faculty of his university have engaged in academic exchanges and visits with leading colleges in Central Asian countries.

Beyond legal talent cultivation, participants also shared their views on topics, including legal safeguards for the sustainable development of economic and trade investment under the initiative, and building an initiative-related dispute prevention and resolution mechanism.