On October 17 and 18, 2020, the international seminar themed "Sino-German Seminar on Response of Labor Law and Social Security Law in COVID-19" co-organized by the Social Law Institute at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) and Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES) of Germany, was successfully completed. Experts and scholars from domestic and foreign universities such as the University of Bremen, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Fachhochschule Jena, University of Vienna, University of Oxford, Université de Poitiers, Peking University, Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Central University of Finance and Economics, Tongji University, East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business, China University of Labor Relations, were invited to attended the seminar. Foreign scholars and domestics off-campus scholars attended the conference online while faculty and students of our school attended the seminar in the conference room B209 and B204 of the Research Building, Xueyuan Road Campus of CUPL.

On the first day, Associate Professor Lou Yu, Director of Social Law Institute, Civil, Commercial and Economics Law School (CCELS), CUPL hosted the opening ceremony. Professor Yu Fei, Dean of CCELS, delivered the speech first. He expressed his thanks to the German Albert Friedrich Ebert Foundation for the cooperation in hosting the seminar. He also extended a warm welcome to all the scholars from overseas and domestic schools to participate in the online seminar during the pandemic period and believed that the seminar would be an academic feast. Then, Dr. Alexander Kallweit, Chief Representative of Friedrich Ebert Foundation in China, gave a speech. He said that he looked forward to more extensive and in-depth cooperation in future with the CCELS, CUPL.

The first panel "How the Pandemic Influenced Work from Home in Terms of Labor and Social Law" on the first day, was conducted by Professor Wolfgang Däubler, University of Bremen in Germany. Scholars invited held presentations on various topics: Professor Dr. Katja Nebe of Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, explained the legal and practical implications of the need to work from home. Researcher Zou Mimi of St Hugh's College and Law School of Oxford University presented the assessment of British labor law response to the pandemic. Professor Wolfgang Mazal, Law School of University of Vienna, Austria, elaborated labor and social law on work from home in Austria under the pandemic. And Professor Xie Zengyi, Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained laws and regulations on e-work.

The second panel "Pandemic Crisis Happened to Workers in Terms of Labor and Social Law", was hosted by Professor Ye Jingyi, Peking University Law School. Professor Wolfgang Däubler, University of Bremen, Germany, presented the German system of short-term work and detailed how it had helped save many jobs during the pandemic. Professor Zhao Hongmei, CCELS, CUPL, analyzed the quality and treatment of wages paid during the epidemic shutdown period. Professor Shen Jianfeng, Law School of Central University of Finance and Economics, presented issues on the processing rules if labor contract cannot be fulfilled due to the epidemic. Professor Han Zhuang, Université de Poitiers Law School, gave a speech on the adjustment of French health emergency law to labor relations. Then, Professor Fan Wei, Labor and Economics Law School of Capital University of Economics and Business, elaborated his enlightening views.

On the second day, the third panel "Living Security for Persons in Quarantine and Their Relatives during the Pandemic in Terms of Labor and Social Law" was hosted by Associate Professor Yang Fei, Deputy Director of Social Law Institute, CCELS, CUPL. Professor Claudia Beetz of University of Applied Sciences Jena (FH Jena), gave an overview of the rights and obligations of persons in quarantine and their relatives. Mr. Reinhard Vorbau, Chief Executive Officer of Legal Affairs Department of the Federation of German Trade Unions, also presented the rights and obligations of persons in quarantine and their relatives. Professor Xiao Zhu, Law School of China University of Labor Relations, analyzed the legal adjustment of labor relations in response to unconventional emergencies from the perspective of interaction between labor and emergency law. Associate Professor Lou Yu, Director of the Social Law Institute of CUPL, explained the insurance of social medical treatment and social compensation system under the epidemic. Assistant Professor Yu Hui of CCELS, CUPL, presented the influence of Covid-19 and protection of workers' privacy right. And then Associate Professor Wu Wenfang, Law School of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, reviewed the speeches.

The fourth panel "How the Pandemic Influences and Speeds up Processes of Digitalization", was hosted by Professor Tian Silu, Economic Law School of East China University of Political Science and Law. Dr. Wolfhard Kohte, Professor of Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, analyzed how the pandemic influences and speeds up processes of digitalization. Mr. Huang Hongfa, a graduate student from Hong Kong in Social Law at CUPL, presented the employment promotion measures in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic. Researcher Wang Tianyu, Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzed how the pandemic influences the development of new forms of business. Then, Associate Professor Li Lingyun, Economic Law School of East China University of Political Science and Law, commented on the speeches.

20-30 minutes of free discussion were arranged in each panel for in-depth communication.

Professor Zhao Hongmei and Professor Wolfgang Däubler respectively made conclusion speech at the closing ceremony. Professor Zhao Hongmei first reviewed the international exchange and cooperation between the Social Law Institute and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation from 2016 to the present. She expressed her gratitude to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for its strong support and looked forward to further exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in the future. Then Professor Wolfgang Däubler delivered his closing speech. He believed that what Chinese scholars presented in the context of the pandemic situation provided good learning materials for scholars from other countries. He also believed that the online seminar was a very good way in the form of academic exchange, and highly praised the prevention and control measures and results that China has achieved.

During conference, Chinese and foreign scholars conducted in-depth discussions on the problems the labor and social security law encountered under the Covid-19 pandemic, and shared the current situation and experience of legislation and law enforcement in different countries, which provided specific ideas for solving the problems, and built a bridge for further exchange and cooperation between Sino-foreign labor and social security law.