Professor Ray Campbell Awarded "Peking University Fourth Yanyuan Friendship Award"

At the 2024 Peking University International Students and Experts New Year Celebration, Professor Ray Worthy Campbell from Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL) was honored with the prestigious "Peking University Fourth Yanyuan Friendship Award." This award recognizes foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to Peking University, particularly in the areas of research, teaching, and academic exchange. Since its establishment in 2018, the award has been presented to 26 foreign experts from 17 different schools across the university. STL professors, including Francis Snyder, Philip McConnaughay, and Ray Campbell, have been among the recipients, highlighting the school’s significant efforts in attracting international talent and promoting academic collaboration.

Professor Ray Campbell, an expert in US civil procedure and professional responsibility, joined STL in 2010. He has played a key role in promoting the internationalization of the school and enhancing its global standing in legal education. His research focuses on the intersection of law and business, particularly how technological innovation is transforming the legal services market in the context of globalization. Through cross-cultural teaching methods and international collaborations, Professor Campbell has not only enhanced the academic reputation of the school but also provided students with valuable opportunities to interact with peers from top law schools around the world, further strengthening the school’s global influence.

Over the past decade, Professor Campbell has fostered significant academic partnerships between STL and leading global institutions. He has led student participation in the "Law Without Walls" international project, which has greatly expanded the school’s international impact while cultivating students' global perspectives and cross-cultural communication skills. Even during the global pandemic, Professor Campbell continued to teach in person in Shenzhen and actively promoted student internships at U.S. federal courts, offering them invaluable practical experiences that strengthened the school’s global education model.

In terms of academic contributions, Professor Campbell has participated in international conferences, delivered speeches, and authored the electronic textbook American Civil Procedure, which has become an important reference for Chinese students studying foreign law. Through these efforts, he has not only elevated the school’s academic status in the field of transnational law but also contributed to the school’s internationalization process by accumulating valuable resources and experience.

Professor Campbell recognizes that legal practice in the context of globalization requires cross-cultural competencies, especially when dealing with complex international legal matters. In his classroom, he integrates real-world examples from a globalized environment to cultivate students' ability to solve legal problems from diverse cultural perspectives, preparing them to become high-quality legal professionals capable of addressing legal challenges in a globalized world.

Looking ahead, Professor Campbell believes that as technology and globalization continue to evolve, legal practice will become increasingly specialized and complex. For STL students, this means they will play a central role in addressing complex international issues in the future. He emphasizes that the school’s cross-cultural learning environment and its talented student body will be key to furthering the school’s internationalization efforts and enhancing its global impact.

Professor Campbell’s award is not only a recognition of his personal achievements but also a reflection of the success of STL’s internationalization strategy. As one of the school’s leading foreign experts, his work has strengthened the school’s position within the global legal education system, making a significant contribution to the cultivation of internationally-minded legal professionals. With the continued addition of international talent, the school will continue to lead in the field of transnational law education and international academic research, making valuable contributions to the global legal education community.