AdmissionsOfficer
WashingtonCollegeofLaw
AmericanUniversity
4000MassachusettsAvenue,NW
WashingtonDC20016-618e
November17,1997
DearColleague:
AsDeanoftheFacultyofLawattheBeijingUniversity,probablyChina’sbesthigherlearninginstitution,IampleasedtohavethisopportunitytorecommendMs.XiaChongbaitoyouforacceptanceintoyourlawschool.
ItaughtMs.XiaintwoofthecoursesthatIhaveoffered,thefinancelawofChinaandtheinternationalfinancelaw,andhadthereforemanyopportunitiestoobserveherperformanceinherundergraduateyears.Adiligentstudent,shescoredanaveragegradeofover80onthe100-pointscale,excellingmostofherfellowstudentsinherstudies.Inastrictgradingsystemlikeours,thisrepresentedaremarkableachievement.
Independentandintelligent,Ms.Xiaexhibitedexquisiteanalyticalandorganizationalskillsinbothhercourseworkandbeyond.Withapowerfulaptitudeforlanguages,sheisarticulateinbothEnglishandChinese.AlthoughherEnglishhadmuchtobedesiredwhenshefirstenteredintotheuniversity,shequicklyimproveditasshemovedintoupperyears.HerEnglishproficiencybecamesogoodinherthirdyearthatshewontherareopportunity,asoneofthedepartment’stenchosenstudents,totakethecourse“AmericanAdministrativeLaw”,whichwastaughtonlyinEnglishbyavisitingprofessorfromtheColumbiaUniversitylawschool.Shepassedtheexaminthatchallengingcourseeasilyandachievedagradeofover90,onceagainprovingherintellectualcaliberasatopstudent.
Upongraduation,shejoinedtheLegalDepartmentoftheChinaSouthIndustriesCorporation,oneofthecountry’sleadingforeigntradecompanies.IwasdelightedtolearnthatshewaspracticingwhatIhadtaughtherinclass.IunderstandthatshehasbeencontinuouslyimprovingbothherlegalexpertiseandEnglishproficiencysincehergraduation.In1993,sheenrolledinthepart-timeprogramofMasterofLawsinmyfacultyandnowexpectstobeconferredherdegreesoon.
Now,sophisticatedasaprofessionalandmatureasanindividual,shehassethersightsonstillmoreadvancedtraining,whichshehopestoreceiveinyourfamousuniversity.Iunderstandthisgreatlyappreciateitifyoucouldfavorablyconsiderherapplication.ShouldIbeofanyfurtherassistance,pleasedonothesitatetocontactme.
Yourssincerely
PanZhiwu
ProfessorofLaw
LL.M.(Harvard)Ph.D.(BeijingUniversity)
DeanoftheFacultyofLaw
BeijingUniversity