Attending the 22nd Anniversary of Foshan University Law School & Visiting the Wildlife Rescue Center
Recently, I made time to attend the 22nd anniversary celebration of Foshan University’s Law School. Having previously been involved in the preparations for its 20th anniversary event—which was ultimately canceled due to overlapping with the university’s main anniversary activities—this felt like making up for that missed opportunity.
The 22nd Anniversary Celebration
The origins of Foshan University’s Law School can be traced back to the “Politics and History Division” established in 1960 by Foshan Teachers College (later renamed Foshan Teachers College). However, the school was temporarily suspended during turbulent times. After Foshan Teachers College resumed operations in 1982, the “Politics and History Department” was formally established in 1983. By 1986, Foshan Teachers College merged into Foshan University, and in 2003, the “Politics and History Department” was renamed the “Politics and Law Department,” officially becoming the “School of Politics and Law” with the introduction of its first law program. In 2005, the Politics and History Department of Foshan Education College was also incorporated.
Currently, the Law School marks 2003 as its founding year, likely due to its emphasis on the continuity of its law programs. It now offers only two majors: Law and Intellectual Property, with an enrollment of around 550 students.
Over time, programs like Ideological and Political Education and History from the former Politics and History Department have disappeared, and the Public Administration program under the Politics and Law Department has also been discontinued.
This event was held at the old Jiangwan campus, as most of the school’s teaching activities have returned there, while the new campus primarily hosts science and engineering programs.
I brought my daughter along to participate in the 3KM campus walk and some small games.
Unfortunately, it seemed only one or two alumni from my graduating class attended. Aside from seeing faculty members and a couple of alumni who had helped organize the event two years ago, I didn’t recognize anyone else. Most attendees appeared to be either early-era alumni or recent graduates from the past few years, with a noticeable gap in between.
Indoor Activities
Since my daughter had to return to school for dance rehearsal that afternoon, I didn’t stay for the indoor segment. However, photos shared in group chats gave me a rough idea of how it went.
I recognized most of the faculty and alumni present. Even though the school has brought in new management in recent years to elevate its academic standing, I’ve met them at various local events.
Foshan is a small place, and as the only comprehensive public undergraduate university here, it’s common to cross paths with the dean, vice deans, department heads, and faculty at citywide meetings or activities. Over time, you get familiar with everyone.
Two former leaders were invited as guests—both had transitioned from academia to government roles. One served as deputy chief judge of Foshan Intermediate Court before moving to another university, while the other had a long career in legal affairs. I’d met both in professional settings. It’s clear that Foshan University’s Law School has strong local connections, offering plenty of networking opportunities.
Visiting the Wildlife Rescue Center
The morning before, I took my two kids to a niche event—a tour of the Wildlife Rescue Center.
The center is quite remote, located near Yunyong Forest Park in Mingcheng Town, Gaoming District.
I’d been to this forest park before but never knew the rescue center existed. Thinking back, there were no roadside signs—only navigation maps could guide you there. (Upon checking the map again, I realized the park and the center have separate entrances.)
Security might be a factor, as the facility is heavily monitored. Unless attending an event, it’s probably not open to the public.
The center has multiple zones—reptiles, mammals, birds—giving it a mini-zoo vibe, though on a much smaller scale.
Since I’m no wildlife expert, I mostly listened to the guides with the kids, though much of it went over my head.
The visit introduced me to this hidden facility, which operates like an animal hospital, complete with labs, cold storage, isolation rooms, operating theaters, and equipment like anesthesia machines, CT scanners, X-ray machines, and microscopes.
I suppose all this exists to reflect the brilliance of human compassion.
This center could collaborate more with Foshan University, whose veterinary and animal husbandry programs are among its strengths. Recently, its veterinary research even made history with a paper on H5N1 receptor specificity published in Science.
