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On June 7, 2024, the preparatory meeting for the International Research Station of the Institute of Digital Rule of Law at Zhejiang University was held at the Zhijiang Campus of Zhejiang University. The theme of this conference was “Utilization of Data for People's Livelihood and Legal Protection of the Digital Economy.”

Prof. Hu Ming, Dean of Guanghua Law School delivered the opening speech at the conference. Professor Hu pointed out that the leadership of Zhejiang University and the Guanghua Law School highly value and support the establishment of an international cooperation station and the initiation of international collaborative research on the digital economy. The research platform, themed around the digital economy, teams up through international cooperation, integrates interdisciplinary methods, and focuses on legal issues in the digital economy, taking the lead in researching legal protections for the application of data in people's livelihoods. Utilizing data to add value and empower, develop the economy, and benefit humanity requires the law to fulfill three major functions: “regulating the application of technology, promoting the positive use of empowerment, and optimizing the rule of law model.”

Kazue Hirano, Executive Director of the Japan-China Friendship Association in Shizuoka Prefecture, Prof. Sun Xiaoxia, Director of the Institute of Digital Rule of Law, Prof. Lin Laifan of Tsinghua University, and Prof. Ding Xiangshun of the Renmin University of China attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Masanori Masui, Chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association in Shizuoka Prefecture and Vice Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, delivered a video speech.

Kazue Hirano, Executive Director of the Japan-China Friendship Association in Shizuoka Prefecture, expressed congratulations on the convening of this conference. Kazue Hirano mentioned that this project is conducive to promoting the exchange and development of elderly care services between China and Japan, which is of positive significance. She sincerely wishes that this cooperative project can contribute to the development of elderly care services between China and Japan. and she also looks forward to more in-depth cooperation between the two sides in the future.

Prof. Sun Xiaoxia, Director of the Institute of Digital Rule of Law, mentioned that this project targets the theme of “digital economy”, features international cooperation, and adopts interdisciplinary research methods, focusing on the technological development and application of data resources as well as the development and utilization of legal models. It is hoped that this conference will bring more intellectual collisions between the two parties, continuously promote topic exchanges, and provide more inspiration for offering beneficial suggestions for national policies.

Prof. Lin Laifan of Tsinghua University emphasized that the current era has entered the process of digitalization, with the rapid development of data and algorithms, which has profoundly affected human life and legal order. On the one hand, data algorithms have brought many benefits, but on the other hand, they have also presented us with numerous challenges. Some new situations and problems that need to be addressed urgently at various stages of data collection, processing, application, and use. How to view the challenges of the data age from a legal perspective and how to use the law to protect the interests of various entities are questions we should continue to ponder.

In an atmosphere of warmth, the inauguration ceremony of the International Research Station at the Institute of Digital Rule of Law, Zhejiang University, was conducted with due solemnity.

The next phase of the conference was the keynote speech session. Prof. Zhu Ye of Shizuoka University in Japan and Prof. Lu Qing of Guanghua Law School delivered keynote speeches at the conference. Masatoshi Masuda, chairman of Infinix Co., Ltd., Lu Fanglin, director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at the First People's Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Pan Shengdong, Executive Deputy Director of the Medical Affairs Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University participated in the discussion. The keynote speeches were chaired by Prof. Zhao Jun, Vice Dean of the Guanghua Law School.

Subsequently, the conference entered the discussion phase. The discussion session was chaired by Associate Prof. Wang Linghao of the Guanghua Law School. Participants in the discussion included Associate Prof. Han Xuzhi of East China University of Political Science and Law, Associate Prof. Gao Yifei of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Lecturer Lin Nuannuan of Fudan University, Director Zhang Xiaoke of Shanghai Bar Association, Associate Prof. Bi Ying of the Guanghua Law School, Associate Prof. Zheng Guan of the Guanghua Law School, Researcher Wei Bin of the Guanghua Law School, and Associate Prof. Shi Yifeng of the Guanghua Law School.

Finally, Prof. Zhu Ye and Prof. Sun Xiaoxia delivered the closing remarks. The conference concluded successfully in a cordial and friendly atmosphere of exchange.