A team made up of 8 students from the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Austral He participated between September 25 and 29 in the XVIII International Arbitration Competition, which took place in the city of Lima, Peru. The competition is an educational proposal with a competitive format, whose purpose is to promote the study of international commercial law and arbitration as a method of conflict resolution.
The Competition is co-organized by the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Faculty of Jurisprudence of the University of RosarioFrom Colombia. During the activity, which includes written and oral components, teams made up of students from different universities act as lawyers for the parties in a simulated case, where they must defend the interests of their hypothetical clients before arbitration tribunals composed of prestigious international arbitrators, lawyers, and academics. In this edition A total of 60 university teams from 12 countries, between America and Europe, participated.
La Universidad Austral has been part of this initiative since the 4th Competition, 15 years ago. In this edition, the Austral Law team was made up of eight students from second to fifth year: Elba Cabezas, Santiago Traini, Malena Carmuega, and Giuliana Forastiero (members), Lucía Betzel and Laura Lopez Pomata (alternates), and Victoria Priore and Valentina Ventura (support). The students were accompanied by the team coaches, Professor Natacha Gedwillo and graduate Catalina Maldonado Zabala.
“Participating in these types of competitions, whether as a student or a coach, is always an enriching experience that allows you to develop skills such as teamwork, public speaking, and the ability to analyze under pressure—in addition to deepening your technical knowledge of arbitration—qualities that undoubtedly distinguish the professionals of the future,” explained Maldonado Zabala upon her return from the international event. The graduate of the Faculty, who in 2019 and 2022 was part of the Austral Law student team that participated in this Competition, added: “I invite all students interested in arbitration and the international practice of law to join future editions of this and other competitions. It will undoubtedly be a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and represent the University.” Universidad Austral with pride."
On behalf of the students, Giuliana Forastiero, a fourth-year law student, shared her experience as a speaker at the conference: “This experience was undoubtedly one of the most enriching in my education. Months of study, dedication, and effort resulted in tremendous learning: I acquired new knowledge, developed skills, and grew both professionally and personally. It allowed me to learn from colleagues, professionals, and academics from around the world, all united by the same enthusiasm and commitment to this discipline.” For her, each event reinforced her passion for arbitration and international law.
Santiago Traiani, a fifth-year student, added his testimony: “From my perspective, participating in this competition again was a new opportunity to compete against universities from all over Latin America and to continue challenging myself with the innovative cases proposed by the organization. What I take away most from this last competition as a student is the value of teamwork and the quality of the group of people. These factors ensured we had a very solid preparation and helped us improve session by session.”
The Competition takes place each year in different venues, which act as hosts and internal organizers of the event, along with the support of the Competition Organizing Committee chaired by Roque Caivano, Professor of Arbitration at the Universidad Austral, and comprised of seven other international members. “The International Arbitration Competition has become a breeding ground for future great lawyers, prepared to face the current challenges of our profession at an international level, achieving through the application of Arbitration an increasingly efficient justice, better suited to the needs of today's market players,” Caivano stated on the event's website (https://www.ciarbitraje.org/).
