The School of Law of UCLan Cyprus is proud to announce that a team of law students is competing for the second consecutive year in the prestigious Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna, Austria) co-sponsored by the Cyprus Arbitration and Mediation Centre (CAMC). The Willem C. Vis Moot is a student competition involving an international sale of goods dispute being resolved through Arbitration, which every year sees more than 300 university teams register to compete.

UCLan UK is also competing in the Willem C. Vis Moot this year so the coaches of the two sister teams, Dr. Nevi Agapiou, UCLan Cyprus and Susan Fletcher and Glen Woodroffe, UCLan UK, organised and delivered a four day intensive course on International Commercial Arbitration on campus here in Cyprus between 14^th February and 17^th February 2018. The two student teams came together as one to work on the 25^th Moot Problem and further develop their knowledge and skills in International Commercial Arbitration.

Students were tested on the facts of the 25^th Moot Problem before exchanging views on the arguments for each side. Informal pre-moots ensued where students were given the opportunity to act as either counsel for either side or Arbitrator. Students also had the opportunity to come together socially and network with legal and other professionals at the School of Law Annual Dinner with distinguished guest speaker Dr. Odysseas Michaelides, the Auditor General of the Republic of Cyprus who delivered a lecture titled, ‘What is good governance, why does it matter and how can it be achieved?’ which took place on 16^th February at the Cleopatra Hotel, Nicosia (for more information please visit: http://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/en/courses/school-law/seminars-and-events/second-annual-dinner-school-law-nicosia-friday-16-feb-2018/). The following morning students attended a formal pre-moot between UCLan Cyprus and UCLan UK. UCLan Cyprus appeared on behalf of the Respondent and was represented by students Antonia Michailidi (procedural issues), Denys Georgiou and Yomna Zentani (substantive issues). UCLan UK appeared on behalf of the Claimant and was represented by students Kyriaki Mavraki (procedural issues) and Hubert Borges Da Silva (substantive issues).  The Arbitral Tribunal was comprised of Mr. Costas Tsirides, Advocate, President of the Cyprus Arbitration and Mediation Centre (Chair), Mr. Tasos Coucounis, Advocate (Cyprus Bar) – Arbitrator, Ms. Yulia Polyakina, Advocate (Paris Bar) – Arbitrator.

The two Oralists representing UCLan Cyprus at the final oral stages of the 25^th Willem C. Vis Moot, taking place in Vienna, Austria between 24^th March and 29^th March 2018 are LLB students Antonia Michailidi and Denys Georgiou. Antonia and Denys, with the support of their coach Dr. Nevi Agapiou, are working hard to prepare for their hearings and have had a number of video-link pre-moots with other universities abroad. UCLan Cyprus wishes its team and every other team participating in the 25^th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Competition the best of luck!