By Lucianna Ciccocioppo
(April 14, 2012) Law student Jonathan Chow, 2L, is Beijing-bound this fall. He’s the first Faculty of Law student to study for a semester abroad at Tsinghua University, taking courses in English as part of an LLM program for international students on the foundations of Chinese law. And he says there’s never been a better time to go.
“I’m interested in diverse legal systems in their development, to see how systems are born; there’s a lot of potential, for better or worse,” says Chow. “It’s more interesting to study these legal systems, than one that’s already well established.”
Chow says he’s met several Tsinghua exchange students here at the Faculty of Law, and interacting with them helped pique his interest in studying in China’s capital, particularly at such a prestigious institution. “As China’s second generation of lawyers, they’re still groundbreakers, in a very new legal system.”
Chow has visited China before, namely Hong Kong, where his parents are from, and Shanghai, where he did an internship last summer at the domestic firm Da Cheng. He drafted legal documents, and was working on a CIETAC (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission) arbitration.
Given his interest in international private law, and conflict of laws, Chow says his goal is to get a better understanding of Chinese law, to enable him to work with overseas clients once he establishes his career.
“I hear Beijing is very different from Shanghai,” adds Chow. Still, he’s still looking forward to meeting new people, immersing himself in the local culture, and practicing his Mandarin.
“I can get by with my Mandarin; I can find a washroom, and order food—but not always the right food,” he explains with a laugh. But it’s not just hard work and no play.
“I really want to try to eat a lot of strange foods, stuff you can’t find on Spadina here in Toronto”
What does he want to try?
“Anything that shows its back to the sun, as Confucius once said.”
