His  research focuses on economic law, economic crisis, improvement of the  rule of law on sovereign debt supervision, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the rule of law.

Li Zhaoquan attending a law symposium

During  his time in high school, Zhaoquan liked to read books. A book about the  ancient legalist is what sparked Zhaoquan's interest in law. After  joining GIR at UIC, Zhaoquan gained a better understanding of the  emergence and development of ‘Law’ through professional courses and  reading legal literature. He wanted to work in this field after  recognising the importance of 'Law' in modern times.

Li Zhaoquan (back row, third from left) with undergraduate classmates

In  his freshman year at UIC, a conversation between Zhaoquan and his  teacher made him determined to stay in the country and study law.  Zhaoquan originally wanted to apply for a law major in an overseas  school, but the teacher said, "If you want to study law as well as work  in China in the future, you should strive for further studies in China.  Only this way can you be more thoughtful and have a better understanding  of the characteristics of China's legal system.” This advice became his  motivation to embark upon the journey to achieve a PhD in Law.

In  the year he graduated from UIC, Zhaoquan was not admitted to Beijing  Normal University due to short preparation time. However, this did not  discourage him; instead, he gave up the opportunity to study in Hong  Kong and spent a year preparing. Zhaoquan was then admitted to the  postgraduate major at Beijing Normal University in 2013, where he  graduated in 2016 with a master's degree in Economic Law.

President of Beijing Normal University Prof Dong Qi presents Li Zhaoquan with a Master's degree in Economic Law

Zhaoquan  said that while studying is mainly self-directed learning, the  communication between teachers and students in the classroom is more  like a discussion. “In the collision and blending of different  perspectives, we build our own knowledge system and improve ourselves  professionally. This learning atmosphere is similar to UIC,” explains  Zhaoquan.

During  his master's degree, Zhaoquan published six papers in domestic academic  journals. Zhaoquan praises his time at UIC for the way he tackles his  academic research, including his innovative thinking, which he says was  developed through the small class teaching at UIC. Zhaoquan said that at  UIC, teachers would let them express their opinions on current or past  events, and the students were encouraged to debate their opinions. In  the beginning, Zhaoquan was not used to it and felt that it was very  different compared with the way he had previously studied in high  school. Still, gradually, he found that he had more perspectives on  events, and his thinking became more open.

Li Zhaoquan with Prof Jennifer Stevenson (left) from when he was an exchange student at the College of William & Mary Law School in the US

After  graduating with a master's degree, Zhaoquan hoped to continue his  studies in the field of law research, so he chose to pursue a PhD. These  days, academic research occupies almost all of Zhaoquan's time. He has  since published four papers and participated in research on several  provincial and ministerial topics, including the Ministry of Justice,  which proves Zhaoquan's insistence and motivation.

Zhaoquan  said that he remembers when he was at UIC, teachers put a lot of  emphasis on the thesis's originality. This prepared him well for further  studies, and the strict academic ethical requirements at UIC have  played a significant role in Zhaoquan's academic research.

Li Zhaoquan (front row, third from left) attends a UIC alumni gathering in November 2019

When  asked about the difference in studying for a PhD, Zhaoquan explains  that it mostly emphasises self-research and that the teachers are more  like mentors. “Students need to improve their academic research ability  through reading and writing,” says Zhaoquan.

Next  year, Zhaoquan is expected to graduate from Beijing Normal University  with a PhD in Law. He realised the joy of academic research and hoped to  contribute to the development of relevant national disciplines. After  graduation, Zhaoquan hopes that he can teach and change from a student  to an educator and express a strong desire to return to UIC to exchange  and share experiences with younger students and make his own  contribution to the development of his alma mater.

Li Zhaoquan having a photo with his wife at UIC's old campus

"If  you truly believe in your dream, you will succeed!" This is what  Zhaoquan likes to share with younger students. Zhaoquan hopes that UIC  students can study hard, clarify their goals, and stick to them.

From MPRO
Editors: Samuel Burgess, Deen He, Lauren Richardson (with thanks to the ELC)

This article appears also on MPRO website at: https://www.uic.edu.cn/en/info/1079/2671.htm