Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) was founded in 1953 from the Department of Political Science and Law of Southwest University of People’s Revolution through merging the Political Science and Law departments of Chongqing University and Sichuan University, the Law departments of Chongqing Finance and Economy College, and of Guizhou University and Yunnan University during the reconstruction of the higher education institutions in 1952. In 1978, the University was accredited as a key university by the State Council and was one of the first key universities to enroll students from all over China. In 1995, approved by the Ministry of Education, the University was renamed Southwest University of Political Science and Law. In February 2002, the administration of the University was transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the Chongqing municipality, thus creating a system of co-administration between the central and local government. The University occupies an area of more than 2000 mu, consisting of Shapingba and Yubei Campuses, boasting 20,000 students of different programs.

 

     The University consists of 11 schools, 17 bachelor’s degree programs, 28 master’s degree programs, one primary discipline for PhD programs, 11 secondary disciplines for PhD programs, one national-level key discipline, 4 provincial-level key disciplines and one post-doctorate mobile station of Law.

 

     During the tenth “Five-Year-Plan”, the University has 3,649 theses, among which 1,256 were published in key periodicals, in addition to 421 books published. The University has won 11 first-rank, 20 second-rank and 29 third-rank scientific research awards and 5 science research awards of excellence at or above the provincial level; 24 National Social Science Fund projects, among which “The Research on Legal Mechanism of Sharing the Fruits of Reform and Developments” was an important project funded by national social science in 2005, the first social science project won by Chongqing; also, 91 provincial-level funded projects. Two doctorate theses were assessed among the most excellent 100 doctorate theses in the country, which was very influential in the national legal education circle. The University has established 3 provincial or ministerial key humanities bases and 38 other academic research institutions.

 

     The University’s library boasts a collection of more than 1,600,000 books (electronic books included), 1,548 kinds of periodicals, and has established a relationship of communication and exchange of books and reference materials with universities both at home and abroad. The University currently publishes two academic periodicals: “Modern Law” and “The Learned Journal of Southwest University of Political Science and Law”, one of which “Modern Law” is on the list of the key National Chinese Language Periodicals and was appraised as a world famous periodical by the international academic community. It won the National Periodical award, the highest Chinese periodical award, in 2003, and in April 2003, won the first national excellent execution of CAJ-CD Model award.

 

     Fifty years since the foundation of the University, we have educated nearly 10,000 high ranking specialized personnel and our University is one of the Chinese universities in higher education that provided the most law personnel for the country. The graduates from our University are popular for their specialized knowledge background and practical work style. A large number of alumni have become the leading figures in the law field and other professions, among which 38 have held provincial or ministerial leadership positions, 15 have been honored the title of “National Ten Young Jurists” and 21 honored as “Chief Justice” and “Chief Prosecutor” since the first appointment of the Chief Justice and Chief Prosecutor in 2002.

 

     In the new century, having its feet planted in Chongqing, facing the western area, bearing the idea of serving the whole country, the University is working hard to implement its purpose of building the base for educating qualified graduates in the humanities with an emphasis in Law and the base of research.