The International Investment Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) is a renowned competition in the field of international investment arbitration and is among the top three moot court competitions worldwide. It simulates the application of rules and procedures of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), or other international arbitration institutions, to resolve investment disputes between investors and host states. This differs from the Frankfurt Moot, which also focuses on foreign direct investment, in that this moot reflects current world affairs while the Frankfurt moot poses a fact situation based on historical events.

The competition consists of global and regional/national rounds, all using the same set of problems and conducted entirely in English. The “Shenzhen Cup”, hosted by the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), is the only path for Chinese university teams to secure entry tickets to the FDI Moot global round. Successful teams will compete in the global round held in Berlin, Germany in November.

The CESL team is a traditional powerhouse in the FDI Moot. In 2021 and 2020, the CESL team clinched the championship and second place respectively in the “Shenzhen Cup”. In 2023, the team stood out among more than 40 teams from universities nationwide, securing the third place in the national round. Additionally, they achieved a breakthrough by ranking in the top 30 in the global round the same year. These achievements fully illustrate the CESL’s strong capability in cultivating international legal talents.

Recently, CESL commenced recruitment for the 2024 FDI Moot team. Six students from the 2023 Grade, including Yang Xintong, Wang Weiran, Liu Ruihan, Shen Xinyu, Yuan Zhu and Han Zhongyuan, were selected for the new team. Monty Silley, the Executive Director of the European side, and Professor Susan Wintermuth serve as the team coaches. Former team members Tao Zhilin, Zhang Ruohan, Wu Yuzhuo, Zhang Meiyun, Li Xianglong, Wang Xuan, Lin Ziyu, and Mei Qian provide comprehensive guidance as student coaches.

From left to right: Yuan Zhu, Shen Xinyu, Liu Ruihan, Yang Xintong, Wang Weiran, Han Zhongyuan

The first round of the 2024 “Shenzhen Cup” will be held online on July 27th-28th. Currently, preparations are progressing smoothly, and we look forward to an outstanding performance from the CESL team.

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Photo | CESL FDI Moot Team