Criminal Law New Essays: A Commemorative Collection for Professor He Peng's 80th Birthday

Author: Book Compilation Team
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: On August 26, 2004, it was Professor He Peng's 80th birthday. On this day, many of his disciples from Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and other places gathered in the spring city to hold a warm and grand celebration in honor of him. Later, the disciples agreed to establish the "Three-One Project," which included "a directory, a video disc, and a commemorative collection." Now, the "directory" and "video disc" have been completed, and with the active efforts of the two senior lawyers, Wang Li and Li Guifang, and the strong support of the Legal Publishing House, the "commemorative collection" has also been published. However, due to the large number of articles included, the "commemorative collection" has expanded from one volume to two. At this time, I have been commissioned by my fellow disciples to write the preface for the "commemorative collection." Although I feel that my writing skills are inadequate to take on this task, as the first master's and doctoral student of Professor He Peng, I also feel that I cannot shirk my responsibility. Therefore, I am happy to accept this task. As the preface to this collection, it is appropriate to discuss Professor He Peng's academic status and thought in the field of criminal law first. However, Comrade Wang Zhiyuan has written a "Biographical Introduction to Professor He Peng," which I have read several times. I think his evaluation is quite fair and to the point, and there is no need for me to elaborate on it. I have specially selected a few unforgettable incidents to inspire younger scholars like myself.
One incident, I entered Jilin University's Law Department (which was still a single department at the time) in 1980 as a student in the criminal law program. I was also the only master's student in that cohort. At that time, in addition to me, only Teacher Lai Yu attended Professor He Peng's lectures. Despite this, Professor He Peng consistently prepared his lessons diligently and attended classes personally, without fail, arriving on time. This story has become a celebrated anecdote to this day. I am now a master's and doctoral supervisor, and when faced with two students, I still find it difficult to take my lessons as seriously and diligently as Professor He Peng did. As the old saying goes, "A glimpse of a leopard through a tube reveals a patch of its fur." Although this is a small matter, it clearly reflects that Professor He Peng was not only rigorous in his academic pursuits but also meticulous in teaching and nurturing students. This spirit of scholarship and work ethic is something that younger scholars like myself may never be able to match in a lifetime.
Another incident, Professor He Peng has 25 doctoral students who have already graduated. The papers of these 25 students range from tens of thousands of words to hundreds of thousands of words. However, regardless of the length of the doctoral thesis, Professor He Peng would personally review and revise it from beginning to end, from the outline and basic arguments to the logical reasoning and language use, strictly ensuring every detail, even correcting typos directly. What is even more admirable is that he treated not only his own doctoral students but also the doctoral students of other supervisors he participated in defending with the same rigor. This is also a vivid embodiment of Professor He Peng's rigorous academic attitude and strict educational spirit.
Another incident, as shown in the academic achievements listed in the "Biographical Introduction to Professor He Peng," he has published nearly 60 academic papers after his sixties and most of his academic monographs were completed and published after the age of 60. Even after he passed the age of 70, he still published more than ten academic papers and completed and published two monographs. This spirit of pursuing academic exploration without rest, like an old horse tilling the field, and never stopping the research until life ends, is also something that younger scholars like myself may never be able to match in a lifetime.
In 1999, at the 50th anniversary celebration of Professor He Peng's teaching career, I composed a pair of long couplets as my speech. From the basic content of these couplets, I believe they are not out of place for celebrating Professor He Peng's 80th birthday, so I have attached them as the conclusion of the preface to this collection:
Horizontal heading: A Criminal Law Master of the Generation
Upper couplet: Taught for half a century, accompanied the law through ups and downs. Though snowed under and frost-bitten, his passion remains unchanged. Establishing words, virtue, and deeds, pouring heart and blood, all in one go. In academia: Created great achievements in criminal law master programs, built remarkable achievements in criminal law doctoral programs, became the North Star of foreign criminal law, and the Mount Tai of comparative criminal law, renowned both east and west, his name recorded in "Cambridge,"① his writings shining and celebrated across the world.
Lower couplet: Nurtured a generation of students, shared the law through hardships. Though windblown and wave-tossed, his foolish heart remains unwavering. Treating scholarship, career, and school, utterly loyal and sincere, with two hearts undivided. Among his disciples: Bathed in the spring rain of legal master programs, enjoyed the honor of legal doctoral programs, served as the head of the national anti-corruption campaign, wielded the insignia of the national criminal police commander, his fame spanning north and south, rising like a magpie in "Beijing,"② his peach blossoms and plums fragrant across the nine provinces.