To thoroughly implement the strategic plans for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization outlined in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the No. 1 Central Document, fully and accurately apply the new development philosophy, prioritize agricultural and rural development, deepen integrated urban-rural development, and strengthen party building to empower comprehensive rural revitalization, on February 26th, Yi Bo, the Party Branch Secretary of the International Law, Jurisprudence, and Legal History Research Office under the School of Law at Southeast University, led student and faculty party members to Liuhe Village in Huai'an City's Huaiyin District to carry out joint party branch construction work. Liuhe Village is the first "Practice Base for Studying the Whole-Process People's Democracy" established under the guidance of the Huai'an Municipal People's Congress, which has continuously enriched and expanded vibrant grassroots practices of whole-process people's democracy. The Party Branch of the International Law, Jurisprudence, and Legal History Research Office at Southeast University's Law School has launched in-depth cooperation with the General Party Branch of Liuhe Village to jointly explore new pathways for the rule of law to support rural revitalization, contributing to the Jiangsu practice of advancing Chinese modernization.

At the start of the event, Liuhe Village's General Party Branch Secretary Lv Lei guided the law school faculty and students to tour the "Old Newspapers, New Voices" Learning Center. Countless party newspapers and periodicals were neatly arranged on the shelves, their yellowed pages carrying the weight of history. A glass display cabinet was specially set up in the exhibition hall, showcasing original newspaper clippings documenting past sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC), accompanied by interpretive texts. From the establishment of the NPC system in the early days after the founding of the People's Republic of China to the vibrant practice of whole-process people's democracy in the new era, these old newspapers served as a unique bridge connecting history and reality, silently narrating the story of "Chinese-style democracy" taking root and flourishing.Next, the group followed Secretary Lv to visit the "Credit Bank", a system where villagers earn points for good deeds and exchange them for rewards. This model actively mobilizes grassroots communities to engage in self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-monitoring. The base also houses a Voters' Discussion Room, creating a normalized and institutionalized platform for communication between NPC deputies and constituents. It facilitates the organic integration of public opinion collection, democratic consultation, and problem resolution.

Subsequently, the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as party-building collaboration and grassroots governance. Secretary Lv Lei noted that the District People's Congress Standing Committee has innovatively developed the "Three-Five" working method in Liuhe Village, Huai’ao Town. This approach involves the participation of five key stakeholders—the village Party branch committee, the villagers' committee, people's congress representatives, voter representatives, and voters—and implements five key processes: democratic elections, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic oversight. This ensures the fulfillment of five fundamental rights for the people: the right to elect, to know, to participate, to express, and to supervise. By dividing the village into several grids with designated coordinators and promoting the use of the "Meet the Representative via Code" mini-program, people's congress representatives have been able to maintain close ties with the community. As a result, villagers' awareness of democratic participation and consultation has significantly increased, their legal consciousness has improved, and the petition rate has dropped markedly. However, some complex legal issues remain unresolved, such as land ownership confirmation after abandonment. Secretary Lv Lei expressed hope that guidance and explanations from the law school's expert faculty could help the public resolve such cases.  Professor Yi Bo suggested establishing a dedicated liaison mechanism to compile complex cases and forward them to the law school, where faculty experts could provide remote guidance to help resolve disputes and reduce petitions. He also mentioned that he would attend relevant sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council this year and could highlight Liuhe Village’s exemplary practices in implementing whole-process people's democracy at the grassroots level, safeguarding people's rights to subsistence and development, thereby telling the "story of Chinese grassroots democracy" on the UN platform. Additionally, Professor Yi emphasized that the collaboration would not be merely symbolic. In late May, he plans to lead a team of faculty and students to Liuhe Village for several days of field research. The team will visit villagers door-to-door, listen to their genuine concerns, help address pressing legal issues, and compile a comprehensive report.  Students also actively contributed ideas, proposing measures such as providing legal aid and leveraging social media to promote Liuhe Village's development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties unveiled six collaborative initiatives and signed a cooperation agreement:

1. Mutual Inspection of Party Organization Standardization: Jointly organize thematic party day activities to promote the standardization of party branch construction.

2. Dual Mentorship Program: Law school teacher-party members will serve as the village's "legal advisors," while village party member leaders will act as "local mentors." Through initiatives like "field party lectures" and "legal night schools," the program aims to cultivate versatile talent pools.

3. Law Promotion in Rural Areas: Regularly engage in activities such as mediating disputes, conducting legal outreach, and jointly hosting "rural revitalization case study seminars" to focus on legal solutions for industrial development and ecological protection.

4. Legal Support Services: The law school will provide legal counseling, contract review, and legal outreach services to Liuhe Village, establishing a "Legal Aid Workstation." Academic legal resources and rural practice cases will be shared to jointly apply for rural revitalization-related research projects.

5. Rural Revitalization Legal Laboratory: Establish a "Rural Revitalization Legal Laboratory" to promote deep integration of industry, academia, and research, creating a model for "party building + legal governance + rural revitalization."

Institutional Development Assistance: Assist Liuhe Village in reviewing and improving its democratic systems at the Practice Base for Whole-Process People's Democracy, and conduct regular legal training sessions.

The event was witnessed by Zhao Wenkuan, Director of the Environmental Resources and Urban-Rural Construction Committee of the Huaiyin District People's Congress, and Hu Zhenxin, Chairman of the People's Congress of Huaiyin District's Huaigao Township.

This pairing for collaborative development is not merely focused on short-term resource allocation and service delivery, but rather aims to explore a sustainable development path characterized by "party building leadership, legal protection, talent support, and industrial revitalization." Through organizational co-construction, joint research on projects, and sharing of achievements, it not only injects legal impetus into rural revitalization but also provides practical nourishment for legal education, ultimately serving the strategic goal of modernizing China's governance system and governance capacity. This university-locality cooperation model serves as a vivid illustration of the implementation of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China's directives to "comprehensively promote rural revitalization" and "uphold the comprehensive rule of law."