Cultivating Foreign-Related Rule of Law Talent Through Curriculum Ideological Education: A Systematic Analysis of International Law Pedagogy in Chinese Higher Education
Abstract
The integration of ideological and political education into professional curricula represents a distinctive feature of contemporary Chinese higher education reform. This paper examines curriculum ideological-political education (kecheng sizheng) within international law courses, analyzing how Chinese universities navigate the complex relationship between professional legal training and values formation. Drawing on a systematic analysis of 47 scholarly articles from Chinese academic databases and situating this reform within broader international trends in legal pedagogy, this study reveals both theoretical justifications and practical challenges inherent in combining technical legal education with political socialization. The research identifies four central dimensions: disciplinary alignment between international law content and ideological objectives, methodological adaptations for effective implementation, persistent challenges related to faculty competence and curriculum integration, and evolving assessment mechanisms. The findings suggest that curriculum ideological-political education operates at the intersection of multiple tensions between nationalism and internationalism, between political socialization and critical thinking, and between Chinese particularism and universal professional standards. By examining this phenomenon through comparative lenses, this paper contributes to understanding how different national contexts generate distinctive approaches to integrating ethics and professional formation within legal education, offering insights into broader questions about the relationship between law, politics, and education in contemporary China.
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