A MAJOR new addition to legal education at Durham University has been launched.

The Law School has opened a new Centre for Chinese Law and Policy, and with over 60 members, it is the biggest in the UK and Europe.

Staff will teach all students in English and run research events throughout the year, bringing the leading figures in the field in a legal first for the country.

Later this year, Durham will also host the annual European China Law Studies Association conference and in summer there will be a Chinese law summer school.

Professor Thom Brooks said: “At the centre, we will bring together researchers and practitioners from across the globe to study and research Chinese law and policy in the form of conferences, seminars, workshops and research projects.

“Similar centres can be found at American ivy league universities like Columbia, Harvard and Yale.

“This added dimension is nothing short of a game changer opening new doors not found anywhere else in the UK. It gives our students a significant advantage in the global job market.”