1. Historical Development
The Human Rights Institute of Southeast University (SEU) originated from the Constitutional and Human Rights Law Research Center established in 2007. Shortly after the re-establishment of SEU School of Law in 2006, the Human Rights Law Research Center was founded, with Professor Gong Xianghe serving as Director and the Chinese human rights law authority and educator Mr. Li Buyun as full-time professor and Honorary Director. SEU was among the earliest universities in China to establish a human rights research institution, quickly forming a teaching and research team dedicated to human rights law, and actively promoting human rights education and research on campus.
In March 2020, the Human Rights Law Research Center was upgraded, with approval from SEU, to an independent university-level research institute, becoming a new type of research organization fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-field co-development. Professor Zuo Wei, Secretary of the SEU Party Committee, serves as Director, while Professor Gong Xianghe, a leading scholar in human rights law, acts as Executive Director and oversees daily operations.
In October 2020, the Institute passed the third batch of national human rights education and training base application review. In December 2020, it was jointly approved by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Education as a National Human Rights Education and Training Base, becoming SEU’s first national key research base in the humanities and social sciences.
2. Research Team
The Human Rights Institute is supported by SEU’s leading disciplines, including transportation engineering, architecture, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science and technology. With the rapid development of law as a discipline, the Institute has quickly grown into a multidisciplinary research hub.
The Institute brings together over 70 experts from top universities in China, including the Central Party School, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Renmin University of China, China University of Political Science and Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Nankai University, Wuhan University, and Fudan University. These experts come from fields such as humanities, social sciences, economics, management, and law, forming a high-level, cross-disciplinary human rights research team.
Among full-time faculty, Professor Gong Xianghe leads the Social Rights Research Team; Professor Liu Yanhong leads the Digital Human Rights Team; Professor Yang Chunfu heads the Human Rights Theory Team; and Professor Wang Jinyuan leads the Civil and Political Rights Team. The Institute has produced more than ten academic leaders and key contributors with significant influence in the field of human rights.
3. Strengths and Features
The Institute has developed comprehensive human rights research in areas including social rights, digital human rights, rights of special groups, human rights theory, civil and political rights, and international human rights, consistently ranking among the top in China in core research metrics. Social rights research is particularly prominent, with nationally leading work on basic social rights theory, the right to education, transportation rights, and health rights.
The Institute also pioneers research in emerging areas, addressing new human rights challenges in the digital era and promoting the transformation and upgrading of human rights research for the digital age.
Human rights education at SEU began as early as 2007, and the Institute has since established a complete curriculum and textbook system from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels.
The Institute actively contributes to policy-making and human rights governance by submitting advisory reports to government agencies, participating in national legislation, and promoting the rule of law in human rights. Guided by the principles of “gathering intelligence” and “fostering synergy,” the Institute collaborates with diverse stakeholders across academia, industry, and government to advance professional training and social services in human rights. It also promotes international human rights research and education, creating an international platform for human rights exchange and cooperation.
4. Future Plans
Goals: Uphold the Chinese perspective on human rights, fully integrate talent, education, and research resources inside and outside the university, and conduct education, training, research, and social services to advance human rights awareness and theoretical studies in China. Within five years, SEU aims to build the Human Rights Institute into a national hub for human rights education and training that combines scientific research, education and training, and policy advisory functions.
Key Tasks: Promote China’s experiences in social welfare and human rights protection; enhance China’s international discourse on human rights; apply artificial intelligence and big data in judicial research to strengthen social rights protection; and integrate SEU’s think tanks to provide decision-making support for human rights governance.
Support Measures: Upgrade office spaces and library resources, ensuring independent offices of at least 200 square meters, comprehensive professional books, databases, and foreign-language materials, along with an annual dedicated funding of no less than RMB 1 million from the university.
