From April 7 to April 11, 2025, the 17th Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court – CIETAC Chinese (Mainland) National Rounds was successfully held in Sichuan. This year’s competition attracted 36 teams from across the country, including Tsinghua University, China University of Political Science and Law, East China University of Political Science and Law, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Over five intense days, a total of 57 arbitration hearings were conducted. The Fudan University team achieved an outstanding result, winning the national runner-up title and qualifying for the global rounds in Frankfurt, Germany.

Notably, Liu Zilin was awarded Best Oralist in the Final, and Guo Feiran was awarded Best Oralist in both the Semifinal and the Preliminary Rounds, in addition to receiving the Team Contribution Award.

I. About the Competition

The Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court (FIAMC) is one of the oldest and most prestigious moot court competitions in the field of international investment arbitration. The competition focuses on investment arbitration, grounded in international treaties and case law, and is conducted in English. The global rounds are held annually in Frankfurt, Germany, organized by the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory and the international law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

This year’s Chinese (Mainland) National Rounds marked the sixth time that CIETAC organized the event. The competition achieved new heights in both scale and the internationalization of arbitrators. A total of 36 teams participated in the intense preliminary rounds held offline. Over 80 arbitrators judged the competition, nearly half of whom came from countries and regions such as France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

II. Team Members

The Fudan University team was composed of Shan Yichen (undergraduate student, Class of 2023) as student coach; Guo Feiran (exchange student, Class of 2022), Liu Zilin (undergraduate student, Class of 2023), Huang Kaining (exchange student, Class of 2022), and Huang Xinyu (undergraduate student, Class of 2021) as oralists; Wang Xiaoyi (graduate student, Class of 2024) and Zhu Ke (graduate student, Class of 2023) as researchers.

Special thanks are extended to Bai Lijie from the Fudan Moot Court Association for his support throughout the competition, Professor Chen Li for her professional guidance, and former Fudan team members Yang Yulin, Liu Changying, and Gao Jian for their assistance in team formation.

III. Competition Journey

Unlike other teams that had ample preparation time, the Fudan University team was formed in February 2024 and had less than two months to prepare. Throughout the preparation period, team members conducted frequent in-person discussions each week, making full use of every minute to carry out intensive legal research. As the competition approached, they further refined their skills by conducting online practice moots with teams from East China University of Political Science and Law, Tsinghua University, and Zhejiang University.

Despite facing a complex and challenging problem and the arduous journey to Chengdu, the Fudan team demonstrated unity, perseverance, and a fearless spirit, fully committing themselves to preparation and competition, ultimately securing the national runner-up position.

From April 7 to 9, 2025, during the preliminary rounds of the Chinese (Mainland) National Rounds, the Fudan University team faced teams from across the country. Thanks to their solid legal research and outstanding oral advocacy, they stood out among the 36 teams and advanced to the semifinals.

From April 10 to 11, 2025, in the semifinals and finals, the Fudan team defeated Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the semifinals to reach the finals, where they engaged in a fierce match against Tsinghua University. With excellent performances recognized by many arbitrators, the team ultimately won the national runner-up title.

In recent years, Fudan University teams have made significant strides in moot court competitions, thanks to the strong support of Fudan Law School. Particularly in the FIAMC, the Fudan team achieved third place in 2022, first place in 2023, third place again in 2024, and second place in 2025.

The Law School’s substantial support and funding for its moot court teams have provided students with valuable opportunities to participate in major international competitions, broaden their global perspectives, hone their professional skills, and showcase Fudan Law School’s strength in talent cultivation and its commitment to internationalization.