On 4-7 March 2020, the Alexandria University and CRCICA co-organized the First AlexandriaU-CRCICA Pre-Moot for the Willem C.vis and International Commercial Arbitration Conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center (BACC), Alexandria, Egypt. The AlexandriaU-CRCICA Pre-Moot is an international legal education event and a “Sponsor Pre-Moot” for the international long-standing moot competitions of “the Willem C. Vis and the Willem C. vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moots”, which are held annually in the Republic of Austria and Hong Kong SAR. The international conference on International Commercial Arbitration and International Trade Law was held along with the Pre-Moot. The events were sponsored by Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy Law Firm, Shahid Law Firm, and El Dib Advocates Law Firm. The Strategic Partners were the African Arbitration Association (AfAA), the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), and the Center for International Legal Education (CILE), University of Pittsburg School of Law. THE LAW was the Media Partner, Adsero – Ragy Soliman & Partners Law Firm was the Supporting Institution, and Andalusia Hospitals were the Medical Care Partner.

The AlexandriaU-CRCICA International Pre-Moot and Conference was initiated by virtue of a Protocol of Cooperation between Alexandria University and CRCICA concluded on 23 December 2019.

The AlexandriaU-CRCICA Pre-Moot was meant to enable law students from Egypt, the African continent and the Middle East region to have an unparalleled experience to be well prepared for the Vis Moots, through workshops and lectures, in addition to pleading in the presence of highly experienced arbitrators who will be judging the teams. The competing teams were from Al Azhar University and Alexandria University (Egypt), the University of Jordan (Jordan), and the University of Carthage (Tunisia). The winning team was the University of Jordan, the first Runner-up was the University of Carthage, and the second Runner-up was the Alexandria University.

List of names of arbitrators, teams, and winners

Dr. Selim and the professors of the Alexandria University delivered the opening speech and introductory remarks of the conference. The conference agenda focused on the various types of arbitration, the role of the party autonomy in drafting arbitration agreements, the CISG as fair contract law, the CISG applicable law and choice of Forum, the application of the CISG in international commercial arbitration. The last session on “How to start a career in arbitration” addressed the young practitioners and law students.

Dr. Selim spoke at the session on the application of the CISG is an international arbitration case under the Rules of the CRCICA. The event included two workshops to develop the legal skills of the participating teams: oral advocacy, argument management, and pleading strategies. The workshops also included five oral hearing rounds.

It is worth mentioning that within CRCICA’s role in supporting career beginners, CRCICA hosted the Alexandria University Vis Internal Moot on 15 October 2019