Seminar on International Commercial Arbitration Law with the President Elect of CIArb

On May 11th, the Faculty of International Law, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam organized a Seminar on International Commercial Arbitration Law - International Arbitration: Emerging New Trends and Lessons Learned, led by Professor Mohamed Abdel Wahab, the President Elect of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), founding partner of Zuficar & Partners. The seminar was attended by Ambassador Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, former Director General of the International Law and Treaties Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Former Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong Trinh, Chairperson of the CIArb Vietnam Chapter, and Mrs. Do Thuy Linh, Secretary-General of the CIArb Vietnam Chapter. Additionally, the event was attended by leading lawyers in Vietnam, representatives from the Faculty of International Law, and over 70 students from the Faculty of International Law, of which 30 current student members of the CIArb from the National Economic University in Hanoi.

In her joint welcoming remarks, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha highlighted the importance of international commercial arbitration mechanisms in the modern context. The Ambassador also complimented the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam's effort in teaching international commercial arbitration law, which led to the achievements of students in international law moot court competitions and academic exchange activities.

Continuing with the presentations, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong Trinh discussed the development of the CIArb Vietnam Chapter as well as the direction and mission of sharing academic and practical knowledge about international commercial arbitration in Vietnam. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong Trinh also expressed gratitude to the organizing partners of the seminar, especially the Faculty of International Law and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

In his keynote speech, Professor Mohamed emphasized students to appreciate cultural differences through international comparative law, and a multicultural approach to prepare them for the future in the field of international commercial arbitration law. Regarding the issue of artìicial intellegence, Professor Mohamed suggested that AI should be implemented appropriately to cut down on labour cost and ultilise resources. However, the application of AI face obstacles since the current state of the art could not replace lawyers in understanding various legal cultural environments. During the Q&A session, the professor focused on answering questions about the importance of courses on international commercial arbitration to increase commercial awareness of law students in Vietnam. Professor Mohamed also wished Vietnam to be one of Asia's biggest commercial arbitration centers.

At the end of the seminar, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong Trinh expressed their gratitude for the presence and participation of delegates and students from the Academy, while also expressing hope for the development of commercial arbitration in Vietnam./.