On July 6, 2023, the 12th Annual Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship Final Examination and Award Ceremony was successfully held in the Beijing office of Han Kun Law Offices ("Han Kun"). The event, launched at the beginning of this year, attracted the active participation of law students in universities and colleges across China. After multiple rounds of selection, which included the review of written materials and a preliminary examination, an internal panel comprising well-known law school professors and Han Kun partners conducted a rigorous and professional evaluation. In the end, Guo Shengdong of Peking University, Liu Yishu of Peking University, Sun Lu of Tongji University, Yu Hongyun of Zhejiang University, and Zhang Xiaohan of Peking University stood out and won the 2023 Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship (RMB100,000 for each winner). Another five students received honorary awards (RMB10,000 for each winner).
List of scholarship winners and honorary award winners (in in alphabetical order by surname)
Scholarship Winners
Guo Shengdong
Guo Shengdong received an LL.B. from China University of Political Science & Law, an LL.M. from Peking University, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Mr. Guo likes writing and running and is also a veteran of podcasting. Mr. Guo believes that the Han Kun Scholarship reflects Han Kun's great importance and lasting investment in the cultivation of young legal talents, the building of a legal community, and the long-term development of the rule of law in China. The perfect blend of professionalism and humanity in the selection process has been impressive, according to Mr. Guo. In the future, his dream is to become a constitutional law researcher, using his own academic research and social services to promote the progress of the rule of law in China. Upon completion of his LL.M. studies, he intends to apply to continue to study for an SJD (Doctor of Laws) degree. For future applicants, he suggests that students do not have to use any "template of excellence" to constrain or belittle themselves, but to believe in themselves and dare to be themselves.
Liu Yishu
Liu Yishu received an LL.M. from Peking University and will attend Cambridge University. Ms. Liu is outgoing and likes photography and dancing. She believes that the Han Kun Scholarship is a very valuable, meaningful, and sentimental public service project. Not only does it provide financial support for young law students to pursue further education, but it also gathers excellent peers to encourage and promote students to achieve outstanding achievements in the field of law. Ms. Liu is very grateful to receive the selection committee's recognition. She said that it is not only an honor, but also a great encouragement and support. In the future, she hopes to become an influential legal professional and to make positive contributions to the development and progress of the international community and just governance through her professional knowledge and skills, as well as to promote international economic development and the rule of law and to inspire more visionary and socially responsible legal practitioners to use their professional knowledge, legal skills, and passion for life to contribute to the building of a better world.
Sun Lu
Sun Lu graduated from Tongji University Faculty of Law and will study at Oxford University. Ms. Sun was awarded the National Scholarship and Shanghai Outstanding Graduate for two years in a row. She also participated in the Vis Moot Mock Arbitration Competition many times and achieved excellent results. Ms. Sun has a wide range of interests, including sports and travel. She said that during the selection process, she deeply felt Han Kun's sense of social responsibility and its ardent expectations for young lawyers to combine knowledge and action to give back to the community. In response to this call, she aspires to become a corporate lawyer with an international perspective. She plans to expand her legal vision to corporate management and market operation through the MLF program in law and finance and, in the future, to use what she has learned to help her clients solve corporate governance problems and to make modest contributions to the development of the rule of law with her passion for the law. For Ms. Sun, applying for the Han Kun Scholarship was a means of looking back and looking toward the future. She hopes that future applicants will also be able to participate and try their best.
Yu Hongyun
Yu Hongyun received an LL.B. from Zhejiang University, attended the Intensive Class in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management, Zhu Kezhen College and received an LL.D. (Honors) from Australian National University and a Ph.D. in jurisprudence from Zhejiang University. Mr. Yu will attend Oxford University for further study. Mr. Yu's hobbies are cooking, theater, and writing. He has also started a business as a screenwriter, artist, and actor in microfilms. Mr. Yu believes that Han Kun's strong support for the scholarship program underscores the concern of one of China's top international law firms has for real issues in China. The Han Kun Scholarship Committee's support and concern for diversity and complex social issues shows the foresight of lawyers for the future of society. In the future, Mr. Yu hopes to be a kind person with a clear conscience and no regrets. His career plan is to become a Chinese legal researcher, reform participant, and case promoter who will promote the rights and interests of marginalized groups and make society a better place. For future applicants, he suggests that students make early preparations and dare to dream!
Zhang Xiaohan
Zhang Xiaohan received an LL.M. from Peking University, an LL.B. from Zhejiang University, and will attend Oxford University to study for an MPhil in Law degree. Ms. Zhang has been awarded three national scholarships. Last year, she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in China and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate of Beijing Ordinary High School. Ms. Zhang believes that the Han Kun Scholarships provide generous support to young lawyers at a critical stage in their education and growth. This promotes equity in an environment in which top educational resources are unevenly distributed and is of great significance to the maintenance and inheritance of the legal community. In the future, Ms. Zhang hopes to continue to devote herself to public law studies, keeping an eye on traditional and the frontier issues, and provide useful observations and thoughts for the theory and practice of administrative law. For those who intend to apply for Han Kun Scholarships in the future, she encourages candidates to explore their uniqueness, enjoy the application process, and improve themselves through exchanges and mutual learning.
Honorary Award Winners
Bai Qianqian
Bai Qianqian graduated from the School of Law of the University of International Business & Economics. She will be pursuing her Juris Master at the School of Law of Peking University. Ms. Bai received excellent grades, completed her minor in accounting, and was awarded the National Scholarship and Beijing Outstanding Graduate. Outside of her studies, Ms. Bai loves reading, watching movies, and horseback riding. Ms. Bai highly agrees with Han Kun Scholarship's philosophy that "lawyers need to have both professional ability and social responsibility," and appreciates Han Kun Scholarship's willingness to provide young students with non-employment- oriented scholarships. In the future, she hopes to be a qualified non-litigation lawyer in corporate practice and to make contributions to public interest legal causes. She encourages those who are interested in the Han Kun Scholarship to apply, because it is a valuable opportunity to reflect upon yourself and consider the future.
Chen Zimu
Chen Zimu graduated from the School of International Law of East China University of Political Science and Law with an LL.B. Mr. Chen received his master's degree from the School of Intellectual Property Rights of East China University of Political Science and Law, majoring in Intellectual Property Law. Mr. Chen intends to pursue an LL.M. degree at New York University. He believes that the selection process of Han Kun Scholarship is fair, open and impartial, and every detail demonstrates the professionalism of legal practitioners and the spirit of Han Kun. He is deeply impressed by Han Kun's simplicity, efficiency, and strong humanistic concerns. He also thanks Han Kun for providing a stage and valuable support for all students who set out to pursue their dreams. In the future, Mr. Chen hopes to continue his research and practice in the field of international protection of intellectual property rights and become a legal professional with an international perspective and Chinese feelings. Mr. Chen, who was shortlisted for the scholarship, feels that his honor is inseparable from the encouragement and care of his teachers, seniors, and friends. Think of its source, remember kindness, wait to return from study, and continue with you. Mr. Chen also looks forward to becoming attached to future generations of students. Hsinchu is higher than the old bamboo branches, with Han Kun as the link, to become a warm and just legal professional.
Luo Jiayin
Luo Jiayin received her BA from Renmin University of China School of Law, MA from University of Oxford in Law and Finance, and will soon attend the University of Hong Kong to study for a JD. Ms. Luo likes to watch musicals, and her favorite musical is "Hamilton". Ms. Luo said that it was a great honor to be selected for the Han Kun Youth Law Scholarship semi-final exam this year. Through her interactions with Han Kun, she can feel the support and care for young lawyers in the law firm. According to Ms. Luo, if she is fortunate enough to win the scholarship, she will use it for her academic development toward becoming a commercial lawyer with both social responsibility and professional knowledge. For those who want to apply for Han Kun Scholarship in the future, Ms. Luo suggests that they have a good professional foundation, study English hard, pay more attention to current events at home and abroad, and become an international talent who reads sage books and keeps abreast of what is going on in the world.
Xiao Ziyi
A graduate of Tsinghua University, Xiao Ziyi will be attending the JD program at Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Xiao likes to watch comedy movies and television, listen to songs, go jogging, learn to cook new dishes, and chat with friends from different cultural backgrounds. Ms. Xiao thinks that the Han Kun Scholarship is full of both emotional warmth and social responsibility. In the interview, she felt the funny, affable, open and inclusive personality of the judges. On the other hand, in the written exam, she realized Han Kun's ardent attention to China's frontier law and social focus. Ms. Xiao says that she is honored to be awarded this year's Han Kun Scholarship and hopes she can inherit the Han Kun spirit and be a Chinese legal person who is both personable and has social responsibility. She hopes to use what she has learned to help Chinese cross-border enterprises deal with overseas governments' regulatory and compliance requirements more confidently, and to better play the influence of Chinese enterprises abroad. Finally, she hopes that students will be brave and apply for the Han Kun Scholarship, and the guidance, thinking and friendship they will receive in the process will be surprising.
Zhang Yuyan
A graduate of Peking University School of Law, Zhang Yuyan will be attending Duke University School of Law to study in the JD/LL.M. in international and comparative law dual degree program. Her hobbies include singing, travel, and attending exhibitions. Ms. Zhang believes that the Han Kun Scholarship embodies Han Kun's spirit of unswervingly assuming social responsibility. During the selection process, the interviewers were able to discover the applicants' characteristics and fully support the development of each applicant's personality, according to Ms. Zhang. Han Kun encourages Chinese students to further their studies on broader platforms, both at home and abroad, and to expand the depth and breadth of their lives. As a laureate, Ms. Zhang hopes to inherit the spirit of the Han Kun Scholarship, continue to actively participate in legal aid work in NGOs, and use her professional knowledge to undertake social responsibility. In the future, she will devote herself to combining an international perspective with Chinese feeling and aspire to become a legal person in international organizations, and to represent China for fairness and justice in the world. We hope that future applicants will be bold in trying, get to know like-minded partners in the application process, and together contribute to the construction of the rule of law.
As a new-generation full-service law firm, Han Kun has experienced and benefited from the tremendous changes and rapid development of China's society, and has also deeply experienced the growing desire for high-end legal talents. Since 2012, Han Kun has set up the Han Kun Youth Law Scholarship public benefit program, which aims to recognize and reward young lawyers who aspire to play leading roles in their respective fields of law and promote the progress of society.
From 2012 to 2023, the Han Kun Youth in Law Scholarship has gone through twelve years, completing its own "rebirth". Over the past twelve years, the scholarship has not only helped more than 100 young students to continue their studies, but also seen more and more young legal talents move to broader platforms, actively devote themselves to the law practice, and contribute to the future development of the rule of law in China. Twelve years is a period and, standing at the starting point of a new period, Han Kun is committed to helping more law students to build their dreams, pursue their dreams, and realize their dreams.
Han Kun partner Li Wei delivered a speech on behalf of Han Kun. He said that: "First of all, I would like to thank the judges for their strong support and excellent comments, and the students for their efforts and active cooperation. The outstanding performance of the students was very impressive. Today's era has provided a broad stage for lawyers, and we are pleased to see that the new generation of students are in high spirits. Through the Han Kun Scholarship Program, Han Kun sincerely hopes that the students can realize their own life dreams and contribute to the future construction of the rule of law. I hope all the students will be successful in their study and life in the future."
At the awards ceremony, the judges congratulated each of the students for winning the Han Kun Scholarship. The judges expressed their congratulations to the ten students who were selected from hundreds of competitors: "Winning or not winning is just a beginning. Today is just a small signpost on the road of life. We hope that the students will not forget their original aspirations and go on to the next journey of life. Han Kun is a compassionate law firm. As the judges, we appreciate Han Kun's twelve years of persistence in the scholarship program, and its continuous investment of considerable capital, human and material resources, to contribute to the development of legal talents in China. In conclusion, we sincerely hope the award-winning students and the Han Kun Scholarship Program become better and better in the future."
This year marks the twelfth year of the Han Kun Youth Law Scholarship Program. In the blink of an eye, the Han Kun Scholarship Program has identified more than 100 top talents. Han Kun is honored and proud to be able to help and witness the development of these outstanding legal talents. The ancients said: "A period of accumulation may be far away." Although the road toward the construction of the rule of law has a long way to go, standing at the turning point of this new period, Han Kun is willing to uphold this responsibility and aspiration, join hands with all the students and colleagues, and contribute to the development of the rule of law in China.
