Brilio.net/en - Delegations from Indonesia's Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta earlier this month won the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI) held by Universidad Buenos Aires in Argentina.
In the event that ran from November 3 to 6, the team was awarded the Overall Highest Team Ranking based on their performance in oral and written memos.
"This is the first time we are able to get this sort of high achievement at the FDI," says Sigit Riyanti, dean of UGM's Faculty of Law. "These students have made UGM and Indonesia proud in an international competition involving all leading law schools in the world."
The annual competition involves other prestigious participants such as Harvard Law School, Paris Bar School, King's College London, and NALSAR University of Law.
This year the competition has the theme on dispute among foreign investors that feel their investments being expropriated by governments. Each team has to prepare memorials, one for investor as claimant and one for government as respondent," says Amelia Rohana Sonang, one of the delegations.
Other members of the delegation include Abigail Soemarko, Amelia Rohana Sonang, Indira Jauhara, Mutiara Khairunnisa, Rahma Reyhan, Rizki Karim, and Rosa Maheswari. Aside from winning the Overall Highest Team Ranking, the team also won the 2nd Best Memorial for Respondent and got the seventh place on Oral Rounds. Three people from the team, Mutiara, Rizki, and Amelia were also listed as one of the 50 Best Advocates.
Mutiara admitted that this is a special win for them as they had to face tough competitors. Especially in the final when we had to be the respondent defending the host state against Harvard Law School. Even more so as they are native English speakers, but we came out seventh place.
Tomi Suryo Utomo, the professor who mentored the delegations,said that his students have beenwell-prepared far before the competition. I saw their discipline, solidarity, and work ethics that brought them to a good position. When I saw their spirit, I was certain if they didnt get the first place, they would get a good position," he said.
I hope it can be an example for others. When these students were able to face many challenges before they left for the competition, I realized they're not just students who attend university to study but also to become problem solvers for people."
(brl/red)
