On Oct.28th,2022, Nankai University Law School invited Xie Qingchuan, Vice Professor of the School, to give an academic lecture on the theme of "The Cultivation of Legal Research Ability: A Case Study of Intellectual Property Law". He shared his insights with the students on why research spirit is needed, how to engage in research, and how to cultivate research ability.
Prof. Xie believes that having research ability means being able to grasp the rules of things and understand the truth in the shortest possible time through limited information. No matter what field you are in, you need to form the habit of research and consciously cultivate research ability in order to survive and develop.
Prof. Xie went on to elaborate on how to engage in research in the field of law from two perspectives: the relationship between law and technology, and the relationship between law and humanities. Using specific examples of the Internet, artificial intelligence, and blockchain as starting points, Prof. Xie introduced how technology and law interact in the field of intellectual property, what points should be noted when studying technology-related legal issues, and how to use humanism as a steering wheel to guide the direction of research.
Finally, Prof. Xie made several suggestions on how to cultivate research ability: First, we should focus on the reality in selecting topics, have Chinese awareness, learn to master the use of theoretical tools, and take the essence through the phenomenon; second, in terms of research methods and skills, we should train the ability to search literature, consider the social science field as a whole, and cultivate interdisciplinary thinking; third, we should enrich our knowledge reserve through targeted reading, establish a systematic knowledge structure, and pay attention to the cultivation of foreign language skills; fourth, we should be good at thinking, diligent in expressing, and cultivate problem awareness and critical spirit. In addition, it is very important to establish ideal beliefs, manage time well, and improve the concentration of one's research.
In the Q&A session, some students asked how to use Chinese and foreign cases for study. Prof. especially emphasized that when studying cases, one should not be confused by the claims of a certain party, but should take the essence through the phenomenon and develop the ability to analyze and apply legal theories and legal norms through specific cases.
Prof. Xie's lecture not only focused on the cultivation of research ability, but also provided guidance on the cultivation of legal literacy and values: Chinese youth should uphold a value concept, that is, to understand China and serve China, legal theory is not a castle in the air, legal study should pay attention to reality, and legal students should have the realistic vision of giving back to legal practice and the humanistic sentiment of responding to social pain points.