Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies hosts Chinese legal scholar Zhiyuan Guo as Visiting Fellow March 9-11 The UND Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies (CHRGS) will host Zhiyuan Guo, a highly respected legal scholar and judge from the People's Republic of China. Guo, an attorney, chief arbitrator, professor and director of the Center for Law Application at Anhui University, is scheduled to be on campus for five days as a Visiting Fellow with the Center. He is known for his comparative law research on the theory and practice of alternative dispute resolution and human rights. "In trying to understand how China can learn and adopt beneficial systems from U.S. legal theory and practice, Guo represents an important human rights link between the American and Chinese legal systems," said Gregory Gordon, UND law professor, CHRGS director. "From what he learns here, he seeks to make a persuasive case in his own country for advancement of human rights protections. We are honored to have him here as a Visiting Fellow." The schedule of events is as follows: Tuesday, March 9, 2 to 3:15 p.m., 313 Merrifield Hall - During the "Modern Chinese History" class of Colleen Berry, assistant professor, Guo will guest lecture on current Chinese legal trends. Wednesday, March 10, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Baker Courtroom, School of Law - Guo and Enru Wang, director of the UND Peace Studies Program, will conduct a roundtable with students on human rights issues in China. - 7 p.m., Chester Fritz Library, East Asian Room - Guo lectures on "Learning to Advance Human Rights and Alternative Dispute Resolution in China." The event is free and open to the public. He will provide an insider's view of human rights problems in China and discuss how alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, such as mediation between disputing parties, can promote important rights, including the right to remain silent and to be safe in the workplace. Thursday, March 11, 1:15 to 3:15 p.m., School of Law, Baker Court Room - Guo will participate in a panel discussion with American Indian and United States legal scholars titled "What Does Harmony Have To Do With It? Comparing Cultural World Views in China, American Indian Country, and the United States through the Prism of Alternative Dispute Resolution." In addition to Guo, the panel will feature Keith Richotte, UND law professor, tribal judge, and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, ND; and Professor Kristine Paranica, Director, UND Conflict Resolution Center and Law Faculty of ADR and Mediation. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Gordon. "It will be extremely valuable for our campus and community to understand how Chinese legal philosophy is so different from our own but in many ways similar to that of the Native American legal tradition," said Gordon. "With professors Guo, Richotte and Paranica, we have some of the top experts in their field. And there could not be a more fascinating context in which to discuss our legal differences than the field of human rights." Guo is a 2009-2010 Humphrey Fellow at the University of Minnesota Law School and Human Rights Center. The Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright program sponsored by the U.S. State Department, brings accomplished mid-career professionals from selected developing nations and emerging democracies to the United States for a year of professional development and related academic study and cultural exchange. For more information, contact Gregory Gordon, UND assistant professor of Law, director, Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies, at 777-2262 or gordon@law.und.edu . -- Juan Pedraza, Writer/Editor, University Relations, Juanpedraza@mail.und.edu, 777-6571