At 7:30 pm on January 10, 2011, Professor Damrosch, a well-known international law scholar who was invited to visit, brought a wonderful lecture with the theme of “the United States and the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes” to all the teachers and students of the Institute of International Law of Wuhan University in the 323 teaching and research section of the School of Law. The wonderful lectures were hosted by Professor Yi Xianhe, Distinguished Professor of the Yangtze River of the Ministry of Education and Professor of the International Law Institute.

Before the lecture, Professor Yi Xianhe first introduced Professor Damrosch. Professor Damrosch is currently Professor of Moses Chair and Professor of Fish at Columbia University School of Law, and Academician of the Institute of International Law. He is the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of International Law and has served in the US State Department. Professor Damrosch elaborated on the characteristics and role of the United States in international dispute resolution in light of the development of American history and the practice and related cases of the United States in dealing with international disputes. The content of the lecture is mainly contained in the following three aspects: first, the methods and main cases used by the United States to resolve international disputes in different historical periods; second, the practice and characteristics of the United States in using international dispute settlement agencies to deal with international disputes and the role of third parties outside the dispute in promoting international dispute resolution. Professor Yi Xianhe focused on analyzing the practice of the United States in handling international disputes by accepting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice; and third, he comprehensively analyzing the theme of the lecture which is “the United States and the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes" and make its own recommendations on international dispute settlement:

1. Arbitration is the most common method of dispute settlement in the United States. The flexibility of arbitration allows both parties to the dispute to choose the composition of the arbitral tribunal and fully assert its own interests within the prescribed scope. China can make full use of the advantages of arbitration flexibility to resolve international disputes;

2. The United States has been actively using international dispute settlement agencies to handle international disputes. China has put forward its own views on the Kosovo advisory opinion in the International Court of Justice and has taken an important step. It is hoped that China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will continue to actively participate in international disputes to solve the problem;

3. The practical experience of the United States in using the Court of the International Court of Justice to resolve international disputes in the 1980s is also worthy of Chinese research.

The entire lecture will run from 7:30 pm to 9:30. During the period, the students competed to ask questions and asked Professor Damrosch for lessons in active atmosphere and heated discussion. The students expressed that Professor Damrosch's wonderful lectures and patient answers have deepened their understanding of the characteristics and role of the United States in international dispute settlement practice, and inspired them to think about China's problems in solving international disputes. I hope that there will be more opportunities to listen to such high-level academic lectures henceforth. Finally, the moderator Professor Yi Xianhe once again expressed his gratitude to Professor Damrosch, and the whole lecture ended with warm applause.

Organizer: Zhu Linlin