On July 4, 2025, the 14th Annual Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship Final Examination and Award Ceremony was successfully held in the Shanghai office of Han Kun Law Offices ("Han Kun"). The event, launched at the beginning of this year, attracted the active participation of law students from universities and colleges across China. An internal panel comprising well-known law school professors and Han Kun partners conducted a rigorous and professional evaluation of the candidates following multiple rounds of selection, which included the review of written materials and a preliminary examination. In the end, Chen Hongyue from Tsinghua University, Liu Rong from Peking University, Tong Kexin from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Wu Bangyu from East China University of Political Science and Law, and Zhou Yongjian from Fudan University Law School stood out as the winners of the 2025 Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship (RMB 100,000 each). Another five students received honorary awards (RMB 10,000 each).
List of scholarship winners and honorary award winners (in alphabetical order by surname)
Scholarship Winners
Chen Hongyue
Ms. Chen Hongyue graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees from Renmin University of China Law School and Tsinghua University School of Law, respectively. She will continue her studies pursuing a Ph.D. at Tsinghua University School of Law. Her hobbies include fitness and piano. Ms. Chen believes participating in the Han Kun Scholarship was both a comprehensive review of her past academic achievements and a valuable learning experience. She sincerely thanked the selection committee for their hard work and recognition of her efforts. In the future, she aspires to become a legal scholar with both theoretical depth and practical vision. She encourages future applicants to genuinely showcase their unique academic thinking and passion for the legal profession, finding a research direction they are truly interested in and committed to pursuing long-term.
Liu Rong
Ms. Liu Rong graduated from Peking University, where she will continue her studies pursuing a master's degree in Constitutional and Administrative Law. Her hobbies include reading, movies, and swimming. She also enjoys turning life's annoyances into jokes to bring laughter to those around her. Ms. Liu believes the Han Kun Scholarship has consistently captured the pulse of the times and encouraged contemplation of social issues over its decade-long history. Participating felt like a warm, mutually rewarding journey, requiring both deep professional grounding and responsiveness to societal needs. In the future, she hopes to become a dispute resolution lawyer, continuously focusing on public welfare within her capacity and gratefully giving back for the help and kindness she has received. She encourages future applicants to boldly try, engage in deep self-reflection during the process, solidify their passions, and tell their stories authentically.
Tong Kexin
Ms. Tong Kexin graduated this year from Xi'an Jiaotong University Law School and will pursue an LL.M. at Northwestern University in the United States. In her spare time, she enjoys figure skating and yoga. The scholarship selection brought together many outstanding peers. The rigorous evaluation mechanism and cutting-edge topics made her deeply feel Han Kun's dual expectations for the new generation of legal professionals: "professional depth" and "international perspective." In the future, she hopes to specialize in Sino-U.S. commercial law and data compliance, acting as a bridge across systemic differences to solve cross-border commercial compliance challenges with expertise. For future applicants, Ms. Tong advises them to deeply explore their unique qualities, seize every opportunity to prove themselves, and continue bravely on their legal path.
Wu Bangyu
Mr. Wu Bangyu graduated with a LL.B. degree from East China University of Political Science and Law, School of Law. He is currently pursuing a LL.M. degree in School of International Law at East China University of Political Science and Law and will soon pursue a J.D. degree at the National University of Singapore. He loves sports, especially basketball and football. He expressed gratitude for the recognition and encouragement from the Han Kun Scholarship, hoping to transform this honor into motivation to move forward, always remembering the spirit of the scholarship, and eventually giving back to society. Mr. Wu aspires to become a dispute resolution lawyer, leveraging solid knowledge of civil law and common law to assist Chinese enterprises and individuals in international legal disputes and cross-border legal proceedings. He encourages future applicants to continuously strengthen their legal foundation, actively explore and experiment, maintain compassion, and strive to be warm and just legal professionals.
Zhou Yongjian
Mr. Zhou Yongjian graduated from Fudan University Law School and will pursue an MJur degree at the University of Oxford Faculty of Law. He has wide-ranging interests and loves sports and travel. He is also passionate about public welfare, actively participating in NGO work and legal popularization, committed to helping advance the rights of marginalized groups. In his view, the scholarship selection process not only demonstrates a high level of concern for social issues but also conveys earnest expectations for young legal professionals to study diligently and give back to society. In the future, he plans to delve deeply into pharmaceutical regulatory policy and intellectual property protection, exploring how to more effectively balance technological innovation and public health safeguards through legal means. Mr. Zhou encourages prospective applicants to enjoy the process, view it as an opportunity for self-reflection and reaffirming direction, participate actively, and bravely pursue their dreams.
Honorary Award Winners
Abudukayier Abudureyimu
From Karamay Xinjiang, Mr. Abudukayier Abudureyimu graduated from the Experimental Class of Law at KoGuan School of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He will pursue an LL.M. at Duke University this year with a $20,000 scholarship from the university. His hobbies include watching movies, fitness, writing, and traveling. He considers receiving the Han Kun Scholarship one of the highest honors for law students and a public welfare project of significant social importance, reflecting the care of Han Kun, a renowned internationalized law firm, for young legal scholars. In the future, he hopes to become a foreign-related lawyer, helping more Xinjiang enterprises "go global" and enter the world stage, leveraging national policies like the Belt and Road.
Liu Yiran
Ms. Liu Yiran graduated with a bachelor's degree from China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) and entered a direct Ph.D. program in Commercial Law at CUPL. Beyond academics, she enjoys exploring various sports and new experiences. She believes the Han Kun Scholarship greatly inspires law students' sense of mission and responsibility towards China's legal cause, prompting them to seriously contemplate their futures. Ms. Liu aspires to dedicate herself to corporate law theory research and become a scholar. She also plans to participate in a joint training program abroad during her Ph.D. studies before returning to China to contribute to the improvement of Chinese corporate law from a comparative law perspective. For future applicants, she advises them to carefully consider their strengths, aspirations, and circumstances and to actively think about their positioning within China's legal landscape.
Wang Yunxin
Ms. Wang Yunxin graduated with a bachelor's degree from Renmin University of China Law School and will pursue an LL.M. degree at Peking University Law School. Beyond her studies, she enjoys traveling, hiking, music, and reading. Throughout the application experience, she felt Han Kun's profound concern for China's rule of law development and its earnest expectations for young legal professionals. In the future, Ms. Wang hopes to live up to the trust and expectations of the Han Kun Scholarship, continuing to be a mature idealist, honing solid academic skills, and dedicating herself to China's rule of law practice. She also encourages future students to boldly try, embrace opportunities and discover better versions of themselves.
Wu Juanxuan
Ms. Wu Juanxuan completed her undergraduate studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and will pursue further studies at Stanford University in the United States. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing badminton, photography, and traveling. She aspires, in this era of surging digital governance, to become a legal professional in the field of digital governance, defining clear legal boundaries for emerging technology applications, balancing efficiency and fairness, and preventing the abuse of power from infringing on citizens' rights, especially the fundamental right to personal liberty. She expressed deep gratitude to the senior professors for their dedication and help during the selection process and to Han Kun for providing such a valuable opportunity to support law students in advancing their studies and pursuing their ideals, enabling them to participate more actively in China's legal affairs in the future. For prospective applicants, she encourages everyone to apply actively, gain valuable friendships and growth through the process, and pass on positive energy to more people.
Zhao Xuya
Ms. Zhao Xuya graduated from the Law School of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and will pursue a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Peking University. She enjoys swimming and reading. During the selection process, she deeply felt Han Kun's profound care for young Chinese legal scholars. The professors not only focused on her academic background but also provided inspiration regarding career paths through sincere communication. Ms. Zhao believes academic research should engage with real-world societal issues. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. abroad after completing her master's studies and return to teach and research law at a domestic university. For future applicants, she noted that Han Kun values not only academic performance but also each applicant's passion for law, reflections on life, and willingness to contribute to society. She encourages students to move forward bravely, holding onto their beliefs.
Han Kun partner Kelvin Gao delivered a speech on behalf of Han Kun. He expressed his honor in participating in this year's scholarship selection and thanked the judges for their involvement and support despite their busy schedules. As a new-generation law firm growing in sync with China's economy and rule of law development, Han Kun has witnessed and participated in profound societal changes, keenly feeling the strong demand across industries for outstanding foreign-related lawyers and exceptional legal talents with deep expertise in frontier areas such as international law, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. Han Kun established the "Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship" in 2012, driven by the original aspiration to support young talents entering the legal profession, foster industry consensus, and jointly promote the inheritance and prosperity of the legal cause. Today, holding the 14th award ceremony for the first time at Han Kun's Shanghai office adds new meaning and significance. The ten awardees selected this year demonstrated remarkable international perspectives, keen insights into the times, superb professional competence, and outstanding comprehensive qualities, which are impressive and highly commendable. Mr. Gao earnestly encouraged the students: "Aim high and stay grounded. Continuously refine yourselves in the vast world, achieve your ideals, and contribute outstanding wisdom and strength to the future of China's rule of law."
The final interview panel congratulated the students during the award ceremony. Professor Guo Yanjun, Vice Dean of KoGuan Law School at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, representing the panel, expressed gratitude to Han Kun for its youth scholarship program and its longstanding support for legal education. She noted that Han Kun's generous initiative has instilled firm belief and momentum in the students, illuminating their path towards legal ideals. Professor Guo recalled that during the full-day final interviews, the judges highly praised the students' exceptional talent, broad vision, active thinking, and independent insights, commending them as models of well-rounded development. Professor Guo also expressed her earnest hopes for the students to continue deepening professional studies. The field of law is vast, profound, and constantly evolving; may they always maintain a passion for learning, continuously deepen their professional research, and solidify their academic foundation. At the same time, actively engage in practical training, apply knowledge through practice, temper true understanding in real-world settings, skillfully use legal thinking to analyze problems, and enhance their practical abilities and comprehensive qualities. Finally, remember to pay attention to society and embrace responsibility. They should closely integrate personal growth with societal development, demonstrating the social responsibility of legal professionals. She looks forward to the new cohort of Han Kun Youth Legal Scholarship recipients achieving great academic success and a promising future.
This year marks the 14th year of the Han Kun Youth Law Scholarship Program. To date, the Han Kun Scholarship has identified more than 100 top talents. Han Kun feels honored and even prouder to support and witness the development of these outstanding legal professionals. The path to cultivating rule of law talent is long and challenging, but we are delighted to see more young legal talents move toward a broader platform and actively contribute to China's rule of law development. In the future, Han Kun is committed to working hand-in-hand with these students and colleagues to contribute to the advancement of China's rule of law.
