Newsletter No. 318

中大通訊 CUHK Newsletter 冷 靜理智、當機立斷的律師與心 思縝密的社會學家，很快會在 中大譜出情理兼備的戀曲。2008 – 09學 年，法律學院及社會學系將攜手開辦兩 個嶄新的雙學位課程：法學士—社會科 學學士（社會學）課程，以及社會科學 學士（社會學）—法律博士課程。法學 士的畢業生，可多修讀一年社會學課 程，以獲得社會科學（社會學）學士； 反之，社會學的畢業生，只要多花兩年 時間，便可獲得法律博士學位。 何以眾裏尋它？ 社會學系本科課程委員會主席趙永佳教 授（左）講述結緣的因由：「大學希望 增加學生修業的彈性，法律學院及社會 學系就是在這大前提下尋覓夥伴。法律 學院羽翼已豐、朝氣蓬勃；社會學系提 供博雅教育，為學生打好基礎，以備在 不同專業範疇立足。」雙方情投意合， 遂繫結成雙。 法律學院本科課程委員會主席Prof. Anne Scully-Hill（右）補充，法律學院此舉 也是有感於業界的要求。「在2001年進 行的香港法律教育及培訓制度檢討，其 中一項建議，是希望法律畢業生除了有 專業的認知，亦有廣博的知識基礎；尤 其是年輕律師，應了解社會的運作。因 此，社會學實是理想夥伴。」 同樣地，法律學也是社會學的核心，社 會學系署理系主任張越華教授（中）解 釋：「法律條文可說是社會就對與錯的 價值觀達成的共識，種種形式及非形式 的社會規範，正是社會行為研究的核心 課題。」 兼收並蓄　實力倍增 社會學系以嚴謹的研究方法見稱，法律 學院則強於法律研究技巧、論證及分析 能力的培訓。修讀雙學位課程的學生， 可兼而得之。張教授認為：「擁有法律 及社會學專識者，兼備社會學知識和研 究方法，懂得辨識研究結果的優劣， 將是政府及大機構渴求的人才。」Prof. Scully-Hill亦稱：「課程設計糅合了知 識的廣度及探究的深度。」 轉換角度　存同求異 法律學院與社會學系各有專研領域，也 有共通範圍。社會學系部分教學人員的 專長恰好是法律與社會學的交匯地帶， 如犯罪學。張教授表示：「我們將為法 學士—社會科學學士（社會學）學生提 供全面扎實的社會學培訓，讓他們掌握 犯罪學與法律的專門知識。學系中專長 於這領域的教學人員，將給予學生個別 指導。」 法律學院的教學隊伍也有犯罪學及刑事 司法學的專家，如法律學院主任麥高偉 教授。法律課程的其中一項特色，是要 求所有學生修讀「個人、社會與法律」 一年制必修課程。他們要走進社區，就 某個社會核心問題進行深入研究，例如 外勞、環保、家庭暴力和囚犯權利等。 Prof. Scully-Hill強調：「我們並非純以法 律層面出發，法律只是其中一個角度。 若單受法律學訓練，很容易以為只有法 律才可解決問題。我們希望學生的思維 可跳出法律的樊籬，去得更高更廣，找 出另類—也許是更好的對策。」 光明前景 這兩個課程的目標是培育對法律有深切 認識的社會學家，以及能透視社會問題 核心的法律專家，在這兩個領域積極投 入服務。靈活的修課組合，跨學科的培 訓，不但學生受惠，也是社會之福。 L evel-headed lawyers and sensible sociologists will soon be joined in a marriage of true minds at the Chinese University. Starting from the 2008–09 academic year, the School of Law and the Department of Sociology will be jointly offering two new double degree programmes, namely the LLB–BSSc (Sociology) and the BSSc (Sociology)–JD. The union means that LLB students will have the chance to gain an additional degree—in sociology—after an extra year of study in the Sociology Department, while undergraduate sociology students will have the chance to also earn a JD by packing in two more years at the School of Law. Why Law and Sociology? Prof. Stephen Chiu (left), chairperson of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies of the Sociology Department, explains how this coupling came about, ‘The University aims to add value to its programmes by increasing options and flexibility, which enhances the initiative to offer double degree options. It was against this background that the School of Law and the Department of Sociology sought partners. Law is a fledging and dynamic school. Sociology provides liberal arts education which grooms students for a range of professional pursuits.’ Prof. Anne Scully-Hill (right), chairperson of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies of the School of Law, says that the School also has the impetus from the legal profession. ‘In 2001, there were reviews of university legal education in Hong Kong, and one of the recommendations was that law graduates should have a broader education. Lawyers, young lawyers especially, should have the awareness of how society functions, what the different drives within society are, and patterns within society. This is why for us sociology is such an attractive partner.’ Likewise, law is a central theme in sociological studies. Prof. Cheung Yuet- wah (centre), acting chairperson of the Department of Sociology, explains, ‘In a sense, law is the written agreement of a community about what is right or wrong. The formal and informal rules of a community are central topics in our study of social behaviour.’ The Power of Two Students of the double-degree programmes will benefit from the combined strengths of the Sociology Department and the School of Law— the rigorous training in research methodology provided by the former and the teaching of legal research skills plus development of skills of argumentation and analysis by the latter. Prof. Cheung observes, ‘This combination of legal and sociological expertise would function very well in the government or large corporations where sociological knowledge and research methods, the ability to identify good research findings and their implications would contribute to a much higher quality employee.’ Prof. Scully-Hill echoes his view, ‘The programmes offer a breadth of education combined with depth of inquiry.’ 法律學 社會學 當 遇上 When Law Meets Sociology