History

With a history traced back to 1984, the university developed from three institutions: the Shanghai Administrative Institute of Politics and Law, the Shanghai Judicial College, and the Shanghai University Law school. The university initiated its undergraduate programs in 1993, and master’s degree programs in 1998. In September 2004, the Shanghai Municipal Government approved the establishment of Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and gave it the status of an independent university. In November 2014, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission became the university’s supervising authority, and the university has since been operated by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice.In 1956, the Ministry of Justice established the Law school of Shanghai, which was closed in 1960. In 1982, the establishment was restored, The Shanghai Judicial School and the Shanghai Judicial Cadre School was founded and operating under the one set of teams and two set of brands management system. In 2008, Shanghai Judicial School and Shanghai Judicial Cadre School merged into Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.

Mission and Vision

The university is committed to engaging with the development of Shanghai, China, and the world by enhancing its academic strengths in political science and law. Embarking on a path of development featured by unique disciplinary strengths, innovation, and excellence, the university aims to foster high-quality “application-oriented” talents with innovative thinking and a global vision. Our students receive moral and legal education and grasp both the breadth and depth of knowledge. The university prioritizes legal studies, but other subjects such as political science, Marxist theory study, sociology, economics, management, literature, education, journalism and communication, national security and discipline inspection, have all been developing in a coordinated way, aiming at building a first-class “application-oriented” university with a distinctive advantage in political science and law.

Academic Disciplines

SHUPL is composed of the following academic departments: School of Law, School of Economic Law(Silk Road Lawyering Institute), School of International Law, School of Criminal Justice(School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision), School of Policing Studies, School of Artificial Intelligence Law, School of Economics and Management, School of Government, School of Languages and Cultures(School of International Communication and Exchange), Shanghai Documentary Academy, School of Marxism, School of Higher Vocational Education, as well as teaching units for general education modules such as Department of Physical Education.

The university regards academic excellence as the engine of its development. Subjects in the area of legal studies at SHUPL are listed as first-class, competitive subjects in Shanghai. Some subjects,  among the array of featured subjects including international law, administrative law, penology, financial law, environmental and resource protection law, Marxism’s application in China and journalism and communication, rank among the top in Shanghai and nationwide. SHUPL aims to foster featured disciplines such as national security, artificial intelligence, discipline inspection , the Belt and Road judicial research, the Belt and Road security and anti-terrorism. SHUPL now has 4 first-class discipline master’s program and 6 professional master’s program. In 2021 and 2022, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law was successively approved by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice the Master of Law （foreign-related lawyer） training project (one of the 15 universities in China) and the Master of Law (International Arbitration) training project (one of the 20 universities in China).The university cultivates Ph.D. students in partnership with Zhejiang University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Kyrgyzstan State University of Nationalities and Uzbekistan State Law University, and postdoctoral researchers with East China University of Political Science and Law. According to the “2022 ARWU Ranking(Academic Ranking of World Universities) of the Best Disciplines in China”, the discipline of Law of SHUPL ranks the 18th in China (top 9%) .According to the 2020 Chinese Universities Ranking, the university ranks fourth in the Ranking of Chinese Political and Legal Universities in 2020; in the Ranking of the Quality of Chinese University Freshmen in 2020, the university ranks 156 out of the 1200 shortlisted universities.

We offer over 40 bachelor’s degree programs in legal studies, penology, intellectual property, economics, business administration, financial management, international economy and trade, auditing, economy and finance, taxation, sociology, social work, labor and social security, applied psychology, political science and administration, international politics, administrative management, Chinese language and literature, journalism, broadcasting and television,  broadcasting and TV directing and editing, English language, Russian language, ideological and political education, international Chinese education, etc. Since 2014, we started to enroll Chinese ethnic students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and abroad.

Our penology and social work programs are featured programs at the national level. Legal studies(general laws), legal studies(criminal justice), penology, social work, international politics, and other fields that contribute to the cultivation of “application-oriented talents” at SHUPL are flagship programs of the work on the development of Shanghai undergraduate education.As one of the two universities in Shanghai to pilot comprehensive legal studies reforms, SHUPL is an incubator for fostering legal talents working at both national and international level and journalism and communication talents. SHUPL is also a demonstration university for its successful establishment of an outstanding Marxism studies school and was chosen to take on the Shanghai pilot university reform of ideological education. The university is also a member of the China Legal Alliance, an association of universities across China specialized in political science and law.

Talents Cultivation

The university regards teaching quality as its lifeline and has been improving the quality of each of our graduates at every stage through different channels. In recent years, we have made numerous achievements in promoting students’innovation and entrepreneurship， Our students won a lot of prizes at innovation and entrepreneurship of college students for their extracurricular academic works, in addition to the highest award at the 7thNational University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Annual Summit in 2014, the top-grade prize at the 7thShanghai “Zhixing Cup”, a youth entrepreneurship competition, and the first place at Shanghai Debating Championship on Rule of Law for three years in a row. Documentaries made by our students have won prizes both at home and abroad multiple times. SHUPL men’s and women’s cricket teams won straight 1stplace at National Cricket Tournament(Promotion Group). In September and October 2017, SHUPL Model UN Society received two separate congratulatory letters from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Rashid Alimov that highly praised the society’s contribution. The employment rate of our graduates has kept above 97% for many years, ranking high among all universities in Shanghai. In 2013, SHUPL was awarded the title of “Shanghai Employment Promotion Unit”.In Sep.2022, SHUPL signed a cooperative agreement with Qingpu District Municipal Government to jointly establish affiliated middle school and primary school.

Faculty and Staff

The university adheres to the strategy of attracting scholars and experts for its long-term development. We make good arrangements in terms of organization and academic ranks for our outstanding teaching staff who have the professional expertise, close connections with industries in China and overseas, extensive teaching experience, global vision. With a total of 1000 faculty members, 700 professional teachers among whom 40%have senior professional title and 95% have master’s degrees and above.  Many experts receive special allowances granted by the State Council, members of the Steering Committee for University Education in Political Science and Law under the Ministry of Education, Shanghai Young- and Middle-aged Legal Experts, Ten Outstanding Young People in Shanghai of the Year, Shanghai Prominent Teachers, Huangpu River Talents and “Shuguang” Scholars. Some enjoy academic titles such as president of important academic societies and international organizations.Besides, SHUPL also employs more than 200 experts and scholars from academic and pragmatic circles as part-time teachers.

National-level Programs

The university adapts to the needs of the country and society for development by actively responding to national strategies. On September 13th, 2013, President Xi Jinping announced at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) Bishkek Summit that the China National Institute for SCO on International Exchanges and Judicial Cooperation (CNISCO) will be established at SHUPL to foster judicial talents for other SCO member states. In 2014, 2015, and 2018, President Xi stressed thrice at the SCO summits in Duschanbe, Ufa, and Qingdao that the institute should serve to help member states train their judicial talents. In 2017, CNISCO has been listed by the Shanghai Municipal Government in the Action Plan of Shanghai for Playing a Bridgehead Role under the“Belt and Road” Initiative.

The university brings the three functions of CNISCO, namely training, think tank, and forums, into full play. Entrusted by central government departments including the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Commerce, the institute has completed a number of training missions. The Supreme People’s Court Belt and Road” Judicial Research Base，Supreme People's Pastorate SCO Procurator Training Base，Ministry of Justice Preparatory office of China-SCO legal service committee，Ministry of Justice Cooperation base of China-SCO legal service committee，Ministry of Justice Mediation Theory Research and Talent Training Base, the regional and country research center authorized and registered by the Ministry of Education, a humanities and social sciences research base for universities in Shanghai, Shanghai Education Legislation Counseling and Service Research Base, and Shanghai Normative Document Filing Review Research Center are set up in CNISCO. SHUPL is a member of the “Belt and Road Think Tank Cooperation Alliance”.SCO Research Institute and the “Belt and Road” Safety Research Institute are CTTI (China Think Tank Index) source think tank. Based on CNISCO, SHUPL is accelerating the process of internationalization.

International Exchanges and Cooperation

The university adheres to the strategy of engaging education with international exchanges. The education going-out strategy has made rapid progress. In 2018, the Chinese Language Training and Research Center, established in cooperation with the Indian Jindel Global University, was successfully approved. We have built partnerships around the world with over 100 universities and institutions including the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and the International Chamber of Commerce. We have established a training center for pre-sessional English language courses and are currently offering“3+1”, “2+2”, “2+1” pathway/track programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies. SHUPL has obtained the suppotive funds from Shanghai Municipal Education Commission for studetns internship program in international organization  for five years successively and the number of students funded also ranks among the top.Overseas students at SHUPL can apply for Chinese Government Scholarships and “Silk Road” government Scholarships. SHUPL is a Sino-US Humanities Program Cultivation University and a member of the China Campus Network. The only preparatory education center for liberal arts and business students in the Yangtze River Delta Area was authorized to be set up here. The university began to accept overseas students in 2013. SHUPL has more than 400 international students from 68 countries. We passed the Quality Assurance of Studying in China in 2020 successfully.

Campus and Facilities

The university is dedicated to the maintenance of ecosystem on campus. Located in the picturesque national-level scenic area of Sheshan Hill, the university covers an area of 1000 mu(67 hectares) and is crowned the “garden university at the northern foot of Sheshan Mountain”. We have more than 11,000 full-time postgraduates, undergraduates, vocational college students, and overseas students. The campus is well equipped with teaching and research facilities and nearly 200 off-campus placement bases. Our placement base for legal practice is a national-level off-campus placement base for university students. We were awarded the “National Civilized Unit” in 2011 and 2015, the “Shanghai Civilized Unit” nine times, and the title of “Shanghai Safe and Civilized Campus” four years in a row, and the title of “University featuring education related to National Defense” granted by the Ministry of Education.