HU ZIYU (WORCESTER COLLEGE 2022 - 2023)
During my undergraduate years at the China University of Political Science and Law, the criminal justice legislation and practice in China constantly pushes back the frontiers, and so does my intellectual exploration and academic expedition. From internship to publication, independent research to national projects, I played my part in building a modern criminal justice system. Heading for the Magister Juris programme at Oxford, I’m eager to acquire distinctive views from the common law in order to better understand not just what the law is, but also how it came to exist and how it can be improved.
When exploring ways to improve the sentencing system during my undergraduate research projects, I encountered many insightful books and articles, written by Professor Andrew Ashworth and Professor Julian Roberts from Oxford, shining a light on several under-researched but critical areas in Chinese sentencing practices. While modern sentencing systems in different countries are facing similar problems, sentencing scholarship remains under-internationalised. Therefore, I’m eager to conduct comparative research on sentencing reform at Oxford, integrating the latest criminal justice reform progress in China with cutting-edge theoretical innovation in England and Wales to facilitate international knowledge exchange. Meanwhile, my research will not confine to criminal justice per se but will expand on social, political, and philosophical contexts underpinning the legal system. And Oxford can grant me a valuable opportunity to get access to all those interdisciplinary insights.
After MJur, I plan to proceed to the DPhil and conduct multi-jurisdictional comparative research on sentencing law. My long-term career plan is to go back to China and enter universities or research institutes, dedicating myself to comparative studies of crime and criminal justice as well as interdisciplinary social science research. I aspire to support criminal justice reform with my research achievements.
Therefore, it is a great honour for me to be granted the David and Jayne Paterson Scholarship. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for Mr and Mrs Paterson’s generosity, which allows me to pursue my academic goal at Oxford. As an amateur marathoner, every time I cross the finish line, I know that my determination and perseverance can bring me anywhere I desire to go. This time, in a life-long expedition to fairness and justice, the David and Jayne Paterson Educational Trust and the University of Oxford will help me reach a brand-new milestone.
When exploring ways to improve the sentencing system during my undergraduate research projects, I encountered many insightful books and articles, written by Professor Andrew Ashworth and Professor Julian Roberts from Oxford, shining a light on several under-researched but critical areas in Chinese sentencing practices. While modern sentencing systems in different countries are facing similar problems, sentencing scholarship remains under-internationalised. Therefore, I’m eager to conduct comparative research on sentencing reform at Oxford, integrating the latest criminal justice reform progress in China with cutting-edge theoretical innovation in England and Wales to facilitate international knowledge exchange. Meanwhile, my research will not confine to criminal justice per se but will expand on social, political, and philosophical contexts underpinning the legal system. And Oxford can grant me a valuable opportunity to get access to all those interdisciplinary insights.
After MJur, I plan to proceed to the DPhil and conduct multi-jurisdictional comparative research on sentencing law. My long-term career plan is to go back to China and enter universities or research institutes, dedicating myself to comparative studies of crime and criminal justice as well as interdisciplinary social science research. I aspire to support criminal justice reform with my research achievements.
Therefore, it is a great honour for me to be granted the David and Jayne Paterson Scholarship. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for Mr and Mrs Paterson’s generosity, which allows me to pursue my academic goal at Oxford. As an amateur marathoner, every time I cross the finish line, I know that my determination and perseverance can bring me anywhere I desire to go. This time, in a life-long expedition to fairness and justice, the David and Jayne Paterson Educational Trust and the University of Oxford will help me reach a brand-new milestone.