On March 31, a Symposium Commemorating the 130th anniversary of Mr. Zhou Gengsheng's birth was held in our university. The theme of the symposium was "Pass the Flame: The Mission of Chinese International Law Scholars in the New Era", Wan E-xiang, the vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, delivered a speech. Representatives of Mr. Zhou's family members, more than 100 experts and scholars from the international law academia, and some alumni from Wuhan University participated in the event.

Gan Zangchun, the vice president of the Chinese research community of law science, Tao Kaiyuan, the vice president of the Supreme People's Court, Wang Hongling, the vice President of Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Coference, You Quanrong, the president of Hubei Higher People's Court, Han Jin, the secretary of the Party Committee of Wuhan University, and Dou Xiankang, the president of Wuhan University, attended the symposium. Shen Zhuanghai, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Wuhan University, presided over the symposium.

Wan E-xiang considered that although Mr. Zhou had passed away for nearly half a century, his ideals, beliefs, academic contributions and moral conduct will be forever spread.

Wan E-xiang also pointed out that in the new era, with the continuous expansion of the breadth and depth of China's opening up to the outside world, an all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging pattern of opening-up has been formed. The academic community of China's international law should take more responsibility.

Dou Xiankang said that Mr. Zhou had been closely linked with Wuhan University since the beginning of the preparation of National Wuhan University in 1928. Mr. Zhou has made important contributions to the inheritance, innovation and development of Wuhan University, as well as to the development of higher education in China.

Gan Zangchun thought that as an outstanding representative of the law circle, Mr. Zhou Guosheng had interpreted the concrete connotation of practitioner builder, developer and trainer with his lifelong practice.

Huang Jin said that Mr. Zhou's life was closely related to China's international law theory and practice, as well as to China's modern and contemporary history of international law.

Xu Hong, the director of the Department of Articles and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Zhang Min, the secretary of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, respectively reviewed Mr. Zhou Kusheng's contributions to China's diplomacy. When Mr. Zhou served as an advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he explored deeply in practices and deeply studied the theory of people's diplomacy.

Huang Jiefang, the dirctor of the Bureau of Legal and Foreign Affairs of ICAO, Huang Huikang, the member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tao Kaiyuan, the vice president of the Supreme People's Court, Professor Liang Xi, Chen Yizhou, Mr. Zhou's grandson, Xiao Yongping, the director of the Institute of International Law, Feng Guo, Dean of Law School and other students, Mr.Zhou’s family members and relevant scholars also reviewed and commented on Zhou's achievements and contributions.

Mr. Zhou Guosheng (1889-1971) is a famous jurist, diplomatic historian and educator in China. He is the founder of modern international law in China. He served as president of Wuhan University from 1945 to 1949. He devoted all his life to international law education, research and practice, and made great contributions to the development of the discipline of international law, diplomacy, legislation and higher education in China.

Edited by Su Yi & Wu Liuqing