FDI MOOT “calls the names” of Hanoi Law University and Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

     On July 24th, the National Round of the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot 2020 (FDI 2020) took place at the Diplomatic Academy. The council of judges includes: Attorney Le Net as the Chairman of the Council and other members are attorneys from Baker McKenzie and Rajah & Tan Law Firm, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung sent a congratulatory message on the success of FDI Moot 2020. Former Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong, the Chairman of the Vietnam Peace and Development Fund, attended and awarded prizes to winning teams and individuals.

      After more than 2 months of launching and 1 week of stimulating competition, the two best teams namely Jennings (Hanoi Law University) and Kateka (the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam) were officially selected at the end of  the National round of the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot 2020 (FDI 2020). In the end, the team from Hanoi Law University was crowned champion. The two best teams will represent Vietnam in the Asia - Pacific arena in Seoul, Korea later this year. Besides, the Organizing Committee also gave a number of awards to other groups and individuals participating in the contest.

     In his message to the moot, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung congratulated the organizers and contestants who made their efforts to create a practical and meaningful contest like FDI Moot, especially in the context of the pandemic’s today complication. He also emphasized the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the efforts of the Vietnam Society of International Law (VSIL) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in promoting the training of Vietnamese law students with sufficient qualifications and skills for the country’s openness and integration.

     The representative of the Diplomatic Academy, the main organizer of the final round and closing program, Ms. Pham Lan Dung, the Vice President in charge of the Diplomatic Academy, said that this year's FDI Moot national competition round has the most significant team scale and virality over the past 3 years. Especially this year, qualifying matches took place online on the Microsoft Teams application platform.

      This was a major technical challenge for the Organizing Committee. Yet it was an advantage because the council of judges consists of 85 famous experts in the field of international investment law from 28 countries and territories around the world could participate without geographic constraints. Finally, the representatives of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam expressed their thanks to the Vietnam Society of International Law (VSIL), ministries, other universities and the contestants who were the units and individuals working restlessly to bring success to the contest.

     The Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) was initiated in 2006 by the Center for International Legal Studies - CILS (Austria) in coordination with the King's College (UK), the Pepperdine University (USA), the Suffolk University (USA) and the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS).

List of awards: 

Awards for Teams: 

• First prize: Team Jennings - Hanoi Law University 
• Second prize: Team Kateka- The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam
• Third prize: Team Fitzmaurice - Foreign Trade University and Team Vereshchetin - Law Faculty of Hanoi National University 
• Prize for the first-time competition team with the best results: Team Sebutinde - Duy Tan University 
• Award for the most inspirational team: Team Aranguren - Vietnam Court Academy 
• Prize for promising team:  Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance 
• The team with the highest score in the qualifying round: Ho Chi Minh City Law University

Prizes for individuals: 

• Best individual orator award at the Finale: Nguyen Bao Ngoc, Hanoi Law University 
• Best individual oratory award for the Plaintiff: Quach Thanh Vinh An, Ho Chi Minh City Law University 
• Best individual orator award for the Defendant: Vu Trung Nguyen, Hanoi Law University 
• Best individual orator award in the qualifying round: Vu Trung Nguyen, Hanoi Law University 
• The most outstanding contestant award: Le Thi Tam Dan, Law Faculty of Hanoi National University 
• The best contestant in the qualifying round: Do Minh Chau, Hanoi Law University.