This morning (June 6, 2024), the Faculty of Law at National Economics University (NEU), in collaboration with the Vietnam Mediation Center under the International Arbitration Center (VIAC), officially announced the Vietnam Commercial Mediation Competition (Vietnam Commercial Mediation Competition – VCMC 2024) and held a seminar on “Commercial mediation training in Vietnam and insights for students participating in commercial mediation competitions.”

An overview of the program

Representing NEU at the seminar were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President; Dr. Hoang Xuan Truong, Dean of the Faculty of Law; and MSc. Vu Tri Tuan, Secretary of the Youth Union. Representing the Vietnam Mediation Center was Phan Trong Dat, Acting Director of the Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC) under the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC). Speakers included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Nam, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, NEU, VIAC Arbitrator and VMC Mediator; Dr. Ha Cong Anh Bao, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Foreign Trade University; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Binh, Dean of the Faculty of International Trade Law, Hanoi Law University, VIAC Arbitrator and VMC Mediator; Bui Ngoc Linh, a student at the Faculty of International Law, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam; and Pham Chieu Minh, a student at the Faculty of Law, NEU. Also attending were representatives of the leadership of functional units and sociopolitical organizations, along with a large number of the University’s students.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, delivers remarks.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, commended the Faculty of Law’s efforts to create a range of valuable opportunities, such as the commercial mediation competition, for students to engage in scientific research and practice skills for their future careers. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu emphasized that the theme of the seminar held as part of the Vietnam Commercial Mediation Competition – VCMC 2024, “Commercial mediation training in Vietnam and insights for students participating in commercial mediation competitions,” was highly meaningful and timely. He also expressed his hope that the seminar would create an open forum for experts, researchers, mediators, lecturers and students to exchange views and discuss issues related to commercial mediation in Vietnam.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President, also expressed confidence that the day’s event would create opportunities and an environment for exchange and networking between NEU and reputable educational institutions nationwide. It would mark the beginning of broader and deeper connections between NEU, specifically its Faculty of Law, and mediation practice institutions such as the Vietnam Mediation Center – VMC. “This is also an essential factor in creating an environment where students can develop practical skills to meet the University’s educational objectives, striving to reach new heights in education and training not only in the northern region but nationwide,” Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu emphasized.

Phan Trong Dat, Acting Director of the Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC), delivers remarks.

As is well known, the introduction of Decree No. 22/2017/NĐ-CP (hereinafter referred to as Decree 22) was closely linked to Vietnam’s robust economic development, with Party and State policies encouraging out-of-court dispute resolution to avoid overburdening the court system. In this context, commercial mediation has become an independent, effective and cost-saving method of dispute resolution, recognized and protected by the legal framework established under Decree 22. In the future, alongside integration into the international commercial mediation community, the legal framework dedicated to this method of dispute resolution must be further refined to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of commercial mediation, as well as public awareness of and confidence in commercial mediation when choosing a dispute resolution method.

The chairs moderate the open discussion at the seminar.

Since the Faculty of Law at NEU was established in 2003, its lecturers and students have worked hard to make it one of Vietnam’s quality legal education institutions, earning employers’ trust and satisfaction… This has been a process of sustained, continuous effort to provide legal education to generations of students. These efforts have helped the Faculty’s lecturers and students achieve many impressive results, including second prize in the English-language International Commercial Mediation Competition hosted by Hanoi Law University in 2022 and second prize in the 2023 Commercial Mediation Competition held at the University of Economics and Law in Ho Chi Minh City. These achievements demonstrate the efforts and dedication of the lecturers and students of the Faculty of Law at NEU. With its current team of young, dedicated staff who actively pursue further learning to improve their qualifications, the Faculty of Law has gradually affirmed its capabilities, educational quality and reputation.

The Vietnam Commercial Mediation Competition – VCMC 2024 is organized to improve the quality of legal education and serves as a valuable activity for fostering connections and exchange among legal education institutions nationwide. It thereby creates a solid foundation for cooperation and improvements in the quality of legal education in Vietnam amid international integration. As part of the competition, the seminar “Commercial mediation training in Vietnam and insights for students participating in commercial mediation competitions” featured experienced experts who shared their perspectives on the current state of training and discussed directions for developing commercial mediation at universities and legal education institutions in Vietnam. Details of the Vietnam Commercial Mediation Competition – VCMC 2024 have been posted on the VCMC competition’s fan page, the Faculty of Law – NEU fan page and the VMC website so that teams from educational institutions nationwide can access the information and take part.

Some photos from the program:

Article and photos: Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.