Dr Mingzhe Zhu

  • Lecturer in Just Transition (School of Law)

Biography

Mingzhe Zhu is a Lecturer in Just Transition. After the completion of a double bachelor degree in law and public administration at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), he turned to legal theory and focused on the laicisation of legal thoughts for her LLM at the same university that he always holds dear. He defended his doctoral dissertation on the transformations of French civil law doctrine in the 19th and 20th centuries at Sciences Po (2015). Inspired by the Paris climate conference, Mingzhe began to investigate the role of law in environmental changes from historical, empirical, and theoretical perspectives. His previous works explore the social and environmental impacts of modern law and legal thoughts in different historical and spatial contexts. Mingzhe is currently working on legal and institutional changes in the Anthropocene.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Glasgow, he was Qian Duansheng Distinguished Associate Professor at CUPL and Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Antwerp. He has also held visiting positions in France, Italy, Poland, Croatia, and the United States.

Research interests

Mingzhe’s research focuses on the links between political authority, science, and nature in the Anthropocene, with particular attention to challenging State violence and extractivist capitalism. Integrating radical political ecology in legal studies, he is committed to identifying the root causes of contemporary social and environmental disasters and exploring the transformations of law in the pursuit of a more sustainable future. 

Current research agendas:

-Conceptualising just transition

-Legal and epistemological authority in environmental governance

 

Previous projects:

China: A (not so) Gentle Ecological Civiliser

Using ethnographic methods, this project critically examines how Eco-civilisation (EC) and its socio-legal structure function as mechanisms of knowledge and power. It argues that EC operates as a project of cognitive and socio-political transformation, imposing a homogenous view of sustainability by creating a distinction between the “ecologically civilised,” “uncivilised,” and “civilisers”.

Making Sense of the Struggles for Equity in Energy Transitions

This project engages with studies on equitable climate policy and aims to reveal experiences within energy transitioning and the meaning given by actors to the deeds of their struggles. It compares two failing transition-policy: the 2018 carbon-tax augmentation in France and the 2017 coal ban in China. The dynamics of these projects illustrate two approaches to adjusting the management of social and emission inequality by law.

Grand Tour of French Law and Legal Thoughts in China (1877-1952)

This project provides a detailed investigation of legal transplant that highlights the strategic interactions of actors involved in foreign law reception and legal modernisation.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021
Number of items: 18.

2024

Zhu, M. (2024) Human rights approach to climate change litigation and its limits. In: Zhang, W. and Liu, H. (eds.) Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights. Brill. ISBN 9789004697362 (In Press)

Ge, J. and Zhu, M. (2024) 从Steel v Houghton案看18世纪英格兰传统共有权的衰落 = Steel v Houghton and the Decline of the Commons in the 18th Century England. In: Qinhua, H. (ed.) 外国法制史研究 = Research on Foreign Legal History. Law Press China, pp. 129-172.

Zhu, M. and Fan, L. (2024) A comparative study of the judicial construction of scientific credibility in climate litigation. Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law, (doi: 10.1111/reel.12542) (Early Online Publication)

Zhu, M. (2024) 中国气候变化诉讼的合作型实用主义模式. Journal of East China University of Political Science and Law, pp. 109-122.

2023

Zhu, M. (2023) Climate litigation in a ‘developmental state’: the case of China. Chinese Journal of Environmental Law, 7(2), pp. 200-213. (doi: 10.1163/24686042-12340105)

Zhu, M. (2023) 法学知识的壮游 = A Grand Tour of Legal Knowledge: The History of Legal Exchanges Between China and France in Modern Times. Law Press. ISBN 9787519778743

Zhu, M. (2023) The ‘bitcoin judgements’ in China: Promoting climate awareness by judicial reasoning? Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law, 32(1), pp. 158-162. (doi: 10.1111/reel.12496)

Ren, Y. and Zhu, M. (2023) Finding God in all things: indirect evangelization and acculturation of Université l’Aurore in modern China. Religions, 14(2), 199. (doi: 10.3390/rel14020199)

2022

Zhu, M. (2022) Biodiversity litigation in China: confronting degradation from all sides in the era of ecological civilization. In: Futhazar, G., Maljean-Dubois, S. and Razzaque, J. (eds.) Biodiversity Litigation. Oxford University Press, pp. 119-145. ISBN 9780192865465 (doi: 10.1093/oso/9780192865465.003.0005)

Yang, X., Gao, Y., Zhu, M. and Springer, C. (2022) Assessing methane emissions from the natural gas industry: reviewing the case of China in a comparative framework. Current Climate Change Reports, 8, pp. 115-124. (doi: 10.1007/S40641-022-00187-5)

Zhu, M. (2022) The rule of climate policy: how do Chinese judges contribute to climate governance without climate law? Transnational Environmental Law, 11(1), pp. 119-139. (doi: 10.1017/S2047102521000212)

Maljean-Dubois, S., Monicat-Delire, A., Boisson de Chazournes, L., French, D., Kotzé, L., Seck, S., Young, M. and Zhu, M. (2022) White Paper: International Law for the Anthropocene. Documentation. French Section of the Association of International Law, Paris, France.

Zhu, M. (2022) China’s developmentalist approach to climate governance. IUCN AEL Journal of Environmental Law, 12, pp. 22-39.

Zhu, M. (2022) Human rights approach to climate change litigation and its limits. Chinese Journal of Human Rights, 3, pp. 2-20.

Zhu, M. (2022) On the judicial power's role in climate governance: an observation from the perspective of comparative law. Political Science and Law,

Zhu, M. and Jun, K. (2022) 环境合作治理中的行政公益诉讼诉前程序. Zhongguo Dizhi Daxue xuebao. Shehui kexue ban, 22(2), pp. 33-44. (doi: 10.16493/J.CNKI.42-1627/C.2022.02.003)

2021

Zhu, M. (2021) 法典化模式与规范制定权的分配. Eastern Journal of Law(6), (doi: 10.19404/j.cnki.dffx.20211102.006)

Zhu, M. (2021) 西法东渐中的知识自主——以里昂中法大学法学博士培养为例. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, pp. 139-155. (doi: 10.13806/j.cnki.issn1008-7095.2021.05.014)

This list was generated on Sat Jun 29 10:23:12 2024 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Research Reports or Papers
Number of items: 18.

Articles

Zhu, M. and Fan, L. (2024) A comparative study of the judicial construction of scientific credibility in climate litigation. Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law, (doi: 10.1111/reel.12542) (Early Online Publication)

Zhu, M. (2024) 中国气候变化诉讼的合作型实用主义模式. Journal of East China University of Political Science and Law, pp. 109-122.

Zhu, M. (2023) Climate litigation in a ‘developmental state’: the case of China. Chinese Journal of Environmental Law, 7(2), pp. 200-213. (doi: 10.1163/24686042-12340105)

Zhu, M. (2023) The ‘bitcoin judgements’ in China: Promoting climate awareness by judicial reasoning? Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law, 32(1), pp. 158-162. (doi: 10.1111/reel.12496)

Ren, Y. and Zhu, M. (2023) Finding God in all things: indirect evangelization and acculturation of Université l’Aurore in modern China. Religions, 14(2), 199. (doi: 10.3390/rel14020199)

Yang, X., Gao, Y., Zhu, M. and Springer, C. (2022) Assessing methane emissions from the natural gas industry: reviewing the case of China in a comparative framework. Current Climate Change Reports, 8, pp. 115-124. (doi: 10.1007/S40641-022-00187-5)

Zhu, M. (2022) The rule of climate policy: how do Chinese judges contribute to climate governance without climate law? Transnational Environmental Law, 11(1), pp. 119-139. (doi: 10.1017/S2047102521000212)

Zhu, M. (2022) China’s developmentalist approach to climate governance. IUCN AEL Journal of Environmental Law, 12, pp. 22-39.

Zhu, M. (2022) Human rights approach to climate change litigation and its limits. Chinese Journal of Human Rights, 3, pp. 2-20.

Zhu, M. (2022) On the judicial power's role in climate governance: an observation from the perspective of comparative law. Political Science and Law,

Zhu, M. and Jun, K. (2022) 环境合作治理中的行政公益诉讼诉前程序. Zhongguo Dizhi Daxue xuebao. Shehui kexue ban, 22(2), pp. 33-44. (doi: 10.16493/J.CNKI.42-1627/C.2022.02.003)

Zhu, M. (2021) 法典化模式与规范制定权的分配. Eastern Journal of Law(6), (doi: 10.19404/j.cnki.dffx.20211102.006)

Zhu, M. (2021) 西法东渐中的知识自主——以里昂中法大学法学博士培养为例. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, pp. 139-155. (doi: 10.13806/j.cnki.issn1008-7095.2021.05.014)

Books

Zhu, M. (2023) 法学知识的壮游 = A Grand Tour of Legal Knowledge: The History of Legal Exchanges Between China and France in Modern Times. Law Press. ISBN 9787519778743

Book Sections

Zhu, M. (2024) Human rights approach to climate change litigation and its limits. In: Zhang, W. and Liu, H. (eds.) Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights. Brill. ISBN 9789004697362 (In Press)

Ge, J. and Zhu, M. (2024) 从Steel v Houghton案看18世纪英格兰传统共有权的衰落 = Steel v Houghton and the Decline of the Commons in the 18th Century England. In: Qinhua, H. (ed.) 外国法制史研究 = Research on Foreign Legal History. Law Press China, pp. 129-172.

Zhu, M. (2022) Biodiversity litigation in China: confronting degradation from all sides in the era of ecological civilization. In: Futhazar, G., Maljean-Dubois, S. and Razzaque, J. (eds.) Biodiversity Litigation. Oxford University Press, pp. 119-145. ISBN 9780192865465 (doi: 10.1093/oso/9780192865465.003.0005)

Research Reports or Papers

Maljean-Dubois, S., Monicat-Delire, A., Boisson de Chazournes, L., French, D., Kotzé, L., Seck, S., Young, M. and Zhu, M. (2022) White Paper: International Law for the Anthropocene. Documentation. French Section of the Association of International Law, Paris, France.

This list was generated on Sat Jun 29 10:23:12 2024 BST.

Grants

Natural Resources Defense Council Research Fund (6,000 euros, 2024)

Foundation-Flanders (183,000 euros, 2020-2023)

Make Our Planet Great Again (30,000 euros, rewarded but declined due to other commitments)

Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange Grant (3,400 euros, 2019)

CUPL Advanced Research Grant （28,000 euros, 2018-2023)

Chinese Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (28,000 euros, 2017-2020)

CUPL research Starting Grant (4,000 euros, 2016)

Chinese Scholarship Council Doctoral Scholarship (58,000 euros, 2011-2015)

Supervision

Mingzhe welcomes enquiries from prospective research students interested in law and environmental governance, climate law, critical legal theory, and more broadly, comparative legal culture.

Ms Liyuan Fan (CUPL & Aix-Marseille University): The Co-production of Scientific and Judicial Authorities in Climate Litigation

Mr Jakub Zwierzchowski (Co-supervisor, University of Silesia): Sustainability in Private Law

Additional information

Mingzhe is the Chief Editor of the Law and Culture Series at the Commercial Press. He is also editorial board member of several peer-reviewed journals.

 

Prizes & Awards

Award of Research Excellence, CUPL

Qian Duansheng Distinguished Young Scholar Award

Most Inspiring Teachers, CUPL

Sun Guohua Award for Philosophy of Law, China Law Society

Lecturer of the Year, CUPL

First Award for Comparative Law, China Law Society

 

Learned Societies

Secretary General, Chinese branch of the Association Henri-Capitant

Adjunct Secretary General, Chinese Society of Comparative Law


Portrait of a man with a city panorama behind him