Tongfang Academy
Micro-Party Class · Issue 333
Gao Mingxuan: The Dignified Altar of Law, Warmth and Care in the Medical Community
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic ethos and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
In China’s legal community, almost everyone knows Gao Mingxuan. As a renowned contemporary jurist and one of the principal founders and pioneers of criminal law scholarship in New China, Gao Mingxuan is directly associated with many “firsts”: he was among the first generation of jurists trained in New China, the only scholar who participated throughout the entire process of drafting New China’s first Criminal Code, New China’s first doctoral supervisor in criminal law, the author of China’s first academic monograph on law following the reform and opening-up period, and the chief editor of the country’s first standardized textbook on criminal law.
There’s another “first” that underscores his achievements in the education arena—the first group of “People’s Educators” awarded national honorary titles.
“Nurturing students has been the greatest joy and achievement of my life.” Having devoted more than 70 years to teaching on the three-foot podium, Gao Mingxuan, Distinguished Professor of the First Class at Renmin University of China, cherishes deeply the sacred vocation of teaching. Throughout his life, he has faithfully upheld his passionate oath: “Education is my life’s calling; science is my very life.”
In 1928, Gao Mingxuan was born in Xian Die Village—a small fishing village in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the East China Sea to the south. His father, uncle, and older brother were all engaged in legal professions. Influenced by his family environment, Gao Mingxuan had harbored a deep aspiration for a career in law from an early age.
In 1947, Gao Mingxuan was admitted to Zhejiang University and two years later transferred to the Department of Law at Peking University. While pursuing his graduate studies, he joined the Department of Law at Renmin University of China and, two years later, remained at the university as a faculty member, having earned top marks throughout his studies.
In 1954, Gao Mingxuan, who had just been appointed to the university a year earlier, was selected by the school to participate in the drafting of China’s first Criminal Code. That year, Gao Mingxuan was 26 years old and the youngest member of the drafting team.
After 25 years and 38 drafts, on July 1, 1979, the Second Session of the Fifth National People's Congress adopted the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China by vote.
At that moment, Gao Mingxuan, sitting in the Great Hall of the People, was moved to tears. He glanced at his watch: 4:05 p.m. “This is a moment I’ll cherish for the rest of my life! From now on, New China has finally put an end to its history of having no criminal code!”
For decades thereafter, Gao Mingxuan participated in both the promulgation of the revised Criminal Law and the repeated discussions on amendments to the Criminal Law.
While actively participating in legislation, Gao Mingxuan has never left the lecture hall.
The teacher, Gao Mingxuan, possesses a spirit of inclusiveness that embraces all rivers and streams.
In 1984, Gao Mingxuan became the first doctoral supervisor in criminal law in New China, and over the following decades, he mentored more than 60 doctoral students in criminal law.
He has taught undergraduate students, supervised graduate students, mentored postdoctoral researchers, and also delivered lectures to continuing education students, TV university students, evening university students, participants in advanced judges’ programs, and participants in advanced prosecutors’ programs. He has nurtured numerous professors of law, legal scholars, judges, and prosecutors...
“You could say that Teacher Gao has nurtured generation after generation of legal professionals,” said Wang Yi, President of the People’s Public Security University of China.
Gao Mingxuan mentors his students, adhering to the principle of "teaching all without discrimination" and treating every student equally. At the same time, he emphasizes teaching according to individual aptitudes, respecting each student’s unique characteristics, personality, and interests.
“The disciple need not be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher need not be superior to the disciple”—this is the ideal teacher-student relationship in Gao Mingxuan’s heart. Among his students, it’s not uncommon to find those whose academic views differ—or even sharply clash—but he always calmly and patiently discusses these differing perspectives with them, maintaining a warm and amiable demeanor.
“If an argument makes sense, I respect all kinds of academic viewpoints—as long as they are well-reasoned and supported by solid evidence. Academic inquiry thrives on debate; the truth becomes clearer the more it is debated.” In Gao Mingxuan’s view, academic progress cannot do without innovation, and students should cultivate the ability to think independently rather than simply following their teachers’ views.
The teacher, Gao Mingxuan, has a rigorous and meticulous approach to scholarship.
Striving for excellence in every single class is his “professional conscience” as a teacher.
“Dad has been working on the front lines of teaching for decades and has long since mastered the content of the textbooks. Yet he still meticulously prepares for every single class, often staying up until dawn to get ready. Even when delivering the same material to different audiences, he insists on reorganizing his lecture notes from scratch,” recalled Gao Xiaodong, the son of Gao Mingxuan.
In Gao Mingxuan’s view, this approach is perfectly natural: “Different audiences have different perspectives and cognitive angles; therefore, the lecture notes need to be reorganized, and the language used must be tailored to the characteristics of the audience. I’ll do my utmost to deliver each class superbly, ensuring that students reap the greatest possible benefits and that their youthful years are not wasted.”
Feng Jun, a doctoral student of Gao Mingxuan and a professor at the Law School of Renmin University of China, told reporters that for decades, Professor Gao’s criminal law course has consistently been one of the most popular among students. “Professor Gao is meticulous and thorough in his teaching; you can tell that every word and phrase in his lecture notes has been carefully considered and refined,” Feng Jun remarked with deep admiration.
After Feng Jun stayed on campus to teach, Gao Mingxuan, concerned about this “new teacher,” often gave him detailed and patient guidance, sharing his decades of teaching experience wholeheartedly: “When teaching undergraduates, you should focus on building a solid foundation and avoid delving too deeply into cutting-edge topics. Make sure the basic concepts are crystal clear, and for controversial issues, hold off on discussing them for now. When teaching graduate students, you can cover controversial topics as well as前沿 issues—but be sure to explain both the pro and con viewpoints thoroughly and clearly. And when teaching doctoral students, you should tackle the very latest research findings and inspire them to think independently…”
Even when extremely busy, Gao Mingxuan still sets aside several months each year specifically to review his students’ papers. He says, “No matter what your purpose is for studying, as long as you’re my student, I’ll never allow you to waste your time with a careless attitude toward earning your degree.”
The teacher, Gao Mingxuan, possesses a pioneering and innovative spirit.
In the field of criminal law education, Gao Mingxuan was the first to advocate for the “comprehensive review research method,” which involves assigning students a specific issue to thoroughly collect both domestic and international materials, prepare a literature review, and then offer their own insights. In his view, “this approach helps cultivate students’ reading skills, broadens their horizons, and—most importantly—teaches them how to think critically, gradually forming their own perspectives and clarifying their academic direction.”
Chen Xingliang, a professor at Peking University Law School, is a beneficiary of this approach. He recalls: “It was precisely through the ‘comprehensive review method’ that I first entered the field of criminal law research—and this marked the very beginning of my academic career in criminal law.”
Today, at the advanced age of 97, Gao Mingxuan continues to write tirelessly and remains deeply engaged in and attentive to research advancements in the field of criminal law.
“As teachers, we must keep our eyes on the cutting edge of global scholarship and the nation’s major needs, and be adept at learning new knowledge, new technologies, and new theories. We need to keenly grasp the development trends of the new round of scientific and technological revolution, produce pioneering academic achievements, and promptly translate these findings into talent cultivation. We must place great emphasis on fostering students’ scientific spirit, academic competence, and innovative thinking, thereby providing strong support for cultivating a large number of world-class strategic and leading talents and nurturing academic masters,” he said with deep emotion.
In April 2015, Gao Mingxuan was awarded the “Cesare Beccaria” Prize by the International Society for Social Defense for his outstanding contributions to the field of criminal law. This prize is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Criminal Law,” and Gao Mingxuan became the first Asian recipient of this prestigious award.
“To elevate Chinese criminal law scholarship and ensure it takes its rightful place among the world’s nations”—this is a goal that Gao Mingxuan has kept firmly in mind, his determination undiminished. “As long as our country becomes prosperous and powerful, influential and attractive, criminal law scholarship will grow stronger and more robust.”
When he was young, Gao Mingxuan studied excerpts from famous Peking Opera arias under the guidance of his father, who had a deep understanding of Peking Opera. In the aria “For the sake of the nation, not a single moment has ever been idle,” sung by Yang Liulang in “Hongyang Cave,” Gao Mingxuan not only sang it exceptionally well but also performed it with remarkable skill...
The Peking University student who stood on the southwest side of Tiananmen Square more than 70 years ago, eagerly watching the founding ceremony, is now in his late nineties. Yet in his eyes still glimmers a burning passion: “I love teaching. As long as my health allows, I’ll keep going…”
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 332: Continuously Enhancing Party Spirit Through Study, Reflection, Practice, and Understanding
