UPH Students Advancing to The Run-off Rounds of The International Moot Court Competition

Being placed at the 13th place after the four preliminary rounds in the competition, the UPH Jessup Team proceeded to the Advanced Rounds (Top 24 teams) of the 2009 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition held in Washington DC, USA.

The UPH students managed to retain their prestigious position in the Run-Off Rounds before being outmatched by the world?s best performers in the final rounds.

This was the first time for Indonesia?s biggest private university ever to have been recognized so highly in the international Court of moot court forum.

Dean of UPH?s Law School, Prof. Dr. Bintan Saragih, who used? to? occupy? the same position? at UI, says? he is proud? of the? students? performance? because? their competitors came from the world?s lead-ing? universities.

In fact the chief spokesman of Universidad de Los Andes, whose team won the competition, ?made a special mention of their respect for Universitas Pelita Harapan,? Prof Saragih recalls.

This could be inter-preted as a form of international recognition of the quality of UPH?s Law School and it certainly gives UPH more weight in the global academic competition, he adds.

Prof Saragih explains that the two Indonesian universities had done their best in preparing the students for the global contest. The students?parents had also been very supportive of the activity. But above all, the students themselves had studied very hard and been trained by Robert Alan Baiton, a special trainer from Australia, prior to their departure.

The Law School of UPH is widely recognized as one of the best such schools in Asia, thanks to the quality of its teaching staff and academic practices.

Prof Saragih says the students have made tremendous progress because prior to their departure, he had only expected them to be ranked 50th but then they climbed to the13 th place from a total of 532 participating universities representing 80 countries.

The 2009 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is recognized as the world?s largest moot court competition, with participants coming from all over the world. The March 22-28 competition in Washington DC presented a simulation of fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of justice, the judicial organ of The United Nations.

Every participating team was required to prepare oral and written pleadings, defending the positions of both the Applicant and Respondent of the case.

The UPH students told CampusAsia that they were proud of their performance because this as the first time for UPH to have been recognized so highly in the world?s largest and most prestigious competition. Although they ranked second in the Indonesian National Rounds, after being defeated by UI,? in the international competition, the UPH team far outsmarted their Indonesian compatriots who ranked 28th after the preliminary rounds.

?All I can say is that I am proud of their performance,? Prof Saragih notes, adding that the UPH students ?comprising one Muslim and three Christians are ?very religious people who won?t forget to pray??

?I told them to show to the world hat they were from UPH?a university based on the philosophy of True Knowledge, Faith in God, and Godly Character. And I told them to defeat UI, even though I myself come from UI.? The dean is hoping that these students will one day emerge as internationally acknowledged lawyers or legal experts.

UPH will give them scholarships and after graduation the university will assist them to achieve their aspirations. ?If they need scholarships for pursuing higher education abroad, I will certainly issue a recommendation stating that they are extra-ordinary students.

Two of the students will go to Murdoch University and they will represent Australia in future contests. Has UPH identified their successors?

UPH Media Relations