The Li Buyun Law Prize ceremony is held Wednesday at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing as part of events marking the 77th Human Rights Day. [Photo by Deng Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]
This year's Li Buyun Law Prize was presented on Wednesday at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing, alongside events marking the 77th Human Rights Day. The award went to Zhang Yonghe, executive director of the university's Human Rights Institute, in recognition of his academic and institutional contributions to human rights law, legal theory, sociology of law, and legal anthropology.
At the ceremony, Huang Wenyi, vice-chairman of the Li Buyun Law Award Committee, highlighted Zhang's role in linking human rights theory with fieldwork and policy engagement. Under Zhang's leadership, researchers have carried out extensive studies in ethnic minority regions and produced over a dozen reports in Chinese and English documenting China's human rights progress for international audiences. Zhang is also a frequent participant in United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva and has led teams in submitting nearly 20 parallel reports.
The Li Buyun Law Prize ceremony is held Wednesday at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing as part of events marking the 77th Human Rights Day. [Photo by Deng Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]
Zhang has overseen several milestones at SWUPL. In 2014, the Human Rights Institute was designated a national human rights education and training Base and later included in a national high-end think tank development program. In 2022, the university established its Human Rights School, the first such school at a Chinese university.
A new book edited by Zhang, Women in China's New Era, was also released during the day's events. It presents life stories of Chinese women framed within ongoing discussions of rights and social development.
The Li Buyun Law Prize ceremony is held Wednesday at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing as part of events marking the 77th Human Rights Day. [Photo by Deng Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]
Li Buyun, born in 1933, is an honorary member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and is regarded as an early advocate for the study of human rights in China. The prize named after him was launched by the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law and is awarded annually to recognize outstanding contributions to Chinese legal studies, international legal scholarship, or legal education exchange. Each year, the prize honors one individual from China and one recipient from a foreign country, which can be either an individual or an organization.
The Li Buyun Law Prize ceremony is held Wednesday at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing as part of events marking the 77th Human Rights Day. [Photo by Deng Rui/chinadaily.com.cn]
"This recognition speaks to your integrity, your scholarship, and your leadership at the Human Rights Institute of SWUPL," said Dr. Djibni Diallo, former United Nations spokesperson, during a speech at the ceremony. "On a day when the world reflects on the dignity and rights of every human being, your work stands out as a reminder of how essential the rule of law is in protecting those rights."
A separate forum on peace, development, and human rights was held the same day to mark the eightieth anniversary of the promulgation of the United Nations Charter. Scholars and experts from China and abroad participated in the discussions.
