Soochow Law Celebrates 100 Years of Excellence:Unveils Centennial Statue, Inaugurates Exhibit of School History

The Law School of Soochow University has turned 100! On June 20th, a Centennial Statue was unveiled in front of the law school building to commemorate the 100th anniversary. Standing at nearly 280 centimeters tall (base height 95cm, statue height 178.5cm), the statue was made by renowned sculptor Wang Xiu Qi out of bronze and depicts a women holding two balls with her arms stretched out toward the sides. The event was officiated by President Wei-Ta Pan and Dean Jia-Yin Hong, guests of honor included Deputy Minister of Justice Ming-Tang Cheng, former Supreme Court Justice Sen-Yan Sun and lawyer Nian-Zu Li.

On the Centennial Anniversary, Soochow Law held a series of events, beginning with the exhibition of School History on May 18th till June 13th. In his inauguration remarks on the 20th, President Pan stated that, "Making it to the century milestone certainly hasn’t been easy. If it weren’t for the hard work of the distinguished alumni who came before us, we wouldn’t have the academic recognition in Taiwan that we enjoy today. On this moment of historic significance, from this exhibition, it becomes even clearer that the success we’ve had is due to our amazing alumni.”

In Dean Hong’s address, he informed us that the unveiling of the statue and the opening ceremony signified remembering the past while embracing the future. The statue, holding two balls in her hands with arms outstretched, signifies the pursuit of justice and equality. Noticeably absent is a codex or sword in the hands of most ladies of liberty, a clear indication of Soochow Law’s uniqueness, and a symbol of innovation and justice.

Even though the statue bears an eastern face, her western-style gown signifies a fusion of Chinese and Western learnings, a case of East meets West just like the way Soochow Law incorporates both Common Law and Civil Law into the curriculum in order to educate bright legal minds that seek justice and progress. This is Soochow Law’s legacy, one that she hopes to continue for many years to come.

Soochow University was established by the American United Methodist Church in Soochow in the year 1900. In 1915, the law department was established in Shanghai, the first comparative law school of law in all of Asia. Following the Nationalists’ relocation to Taiwan, Soochow Law was reinstated in Taiwan by the Ministry of Education in 1954, continuing its tradition of educating legal minds proficient in comparative laws and international laws. Many years of academic excellence as well as a liberal campus have produced nearly 9,000 graduates.

Symposia on legal education and "A Recollection of legal education in the field of Comparative Law and Common Law,” were held on June 5th and 6th to mark Soochow Law’s 100th anniversary together with a campus tour for alumni on the 6th, and on the 8th a centennial celebration and the annual alumni convention. Legal scholars from various schools all over the island and even from abroad were in attendance of this very special event. Students, teachers, alumni and esteemed guest gathered together to celebrate the past century of excellence and look forward to another amazing century.