MILE Alumni Profiles: Jian Guan

Where are you based and what work are you doing? After graduation from the WTI, I returned to Zhong Lun law firm, which is one of the leading Chinese law firms. I work in the Beijing office and specialise in international trade law in the fields of trade remedy, WTO dispute settlement, trade barriers, customs law, and government procurement. What was it that attracted you to the MILE programme that you decided to leave your successful law career in China to pursue it?  Before joining the MILE, I worked on trade remedy issues at Zhong Lun for six years. But as the role of China in international trade has increasingly grown in importance, the country has developed a greater need for Chinese international trade law experts to deal with more and more complicated trade issues. I was eager to expand my knowledge and strengthen my ability in this regard. Having been introduced to the WTI by my professor Mr. Yu Minyou at Wuhan University, I felt that the MILE programme would provide me this opportunity. In what ways have you benefited from completing the MILE? The MILE programme gave me a broader view of WTO law within the interdisciplinary environment. The intensive nature of MILE helped me develop good reading and writing skills. Moreover, the MILE programme has faculty all over the world, including in academia, practitioners, and members or officials of international organisations, which brought me a valuable network in the international trade law field. How would you sum up the MILE course in one sentence? The MILE programme is one of the most important miles I have completed in my career path. What are your plans and career aspirations? I started a PhD in international law at Wuhan University last year. I expect to complete the PhD within the next four years while continuing to practise international trade law. My goal is to be a leading Chinese trade law expert in the near future.