Final evaluation of the China – EU School of Law programme

The final evaluation of the China-EU School of Law examines a fifteen-year EU-funded initiative aimed at strengthening mutual legal understanding and improving the skills of Chinese legal professionals in EU and international law. With a total budget of 18.2 million euros, CESL offered joint Master programmes, judicial and prosecutorial training, and collaborative research activities. 

The evaluation, based on extensive document review, thirty-nine interviews and a wide alumni electronic survey, confirms that CESL trained more than 1300 graduates and nearly 6000 justice sector professionals, building a group of practitioners able to operate in cross-border legal contexts. Management structures proved effective and coordination solid, while costs remained broadly proportional to the programme’s size and duration. However, the evaluation finds that CESL’s contribution to rule-of-law reforms in China is necessarily limited by structural political constraints. Sustainability is mixed the academic component continues after EU funding, but research and professional training lack a viable financing model. 

The evaluation concludes that CESL has strategic value for EU-China legal dialogue and proposes recommendations to strengthen alignment with EU priorities, ensure accessibility for disadvantaged students, and improve long-term institutional and financial resilience.