Professor Raimund Waltermann, associate dean and also head of the University of Bonn Law School, was invited to hold the special lecture for the 70^th anniversary of China University of Labor Relations and the Labor Law Frontier Forum Series 10 on “New Progress and Challenges in the Labor Law” during October 12 to 16. The lecture was held in the First Terrace Classroom of Wendao Building and was also broadcast live in the Eighth Terrace Classroom on Zhuozhou Campus by means of remote audio-visual equipment. More than 120 people, including professionals from outside academia and practice circles, teaching staff, students and alumni of the university attended the lecture. All seats were occupied and the audience was enthusiastic.

The lecture focused on a series of issues such as “whether to bid farewell to standard labor relations”, “low-income sectors and aging society”, “digitalization and labor relations” and “small self-employed persons and their protection in the Labor Law and Social Law”. Based on these issues, Professor Waltermann introduced the current status of labor relations in Germany, the relationship between low income and the aging problem and pension insurance, digital work methods and its influence on Germany’s labor relations, etc. He also carried on further explanation and discussion with scholars and students inside and outside the university in the following aspects: the nature of work of Uber drivers, the problem of Germany’s refugees, Germany’s pension insurance, German farmers’ social insurance, the path to resolving pension insurance pressure, the definition of small self-employed persons, the specific application of Article 611a of the German Civil Code, the flexibility and prudence of adjustment of the Labor Law in the digital economy era, continuous breakthroughs in the adjustment objects of the Labor Law within the scope of the Social Insurance Law, the operation of the work-related injury insurance system for small self-employed persons and the “pay-as-you-go” mode of social security payment in Germany.

The lecture was interpreted by Dr. Ding Wanjing, a teacher from the China University of Labor Relations Law School, Associate Professor Lou Yu, director of the Institute for Social Law of the Department of Civil and Commercial Law and Economic Law from China University of Political Science and Law and Dr. Liu Ya’nan from National Police University for Criminal Justice. Other professionals also attended the lecture and had an in-depth discussion with Professor Waltermann, including Professor Xie Zengyi from the Institute of Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vice president of the China Law Society Social Law Studies Institute, Professor Feng Yanjun from the Jilin University Law School, vice president of the China Law Society Social Law Studies Institute, Professor Yu Shuhong from the Wuhan University Law School, vice president of the Labour Law Branch of the China Law Society Social Law Studies Institute, Liu Fashe, president of Sanya Labour and Public Personnel Dispute Arbitration Court in Hainan Province and Professor Jiang Ying, member of the standing committee of the party committee and director of the academic affairs office of China University of Labor Relations.

At the end of the lecture, Professor Shen Jianfeng, dean of the China University of Labor Relations Law School expressed his gratitude to Professor Waltermann for his academic exchange during the 70^th anniversary celebration of the university and presented him a gift.

(China University of Labor Relations Law School)