The DTU School of Languages, Humanities, and Social Sciences (LHSS) scored a double victory with a silver and a bronze medal at Vietnam Mediation Moot 2025.
DTU’s Run team scored a double victory with a silver and a bronze medal. Photo: DTU
The commercial mediation contest Vietnam Mediation Moot or V-Mediate is an annual academic contest jointly organized by the Vietnam International Commercial Mediation Center (VICMC) and the Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC).
The contest aims to enhance knowledge and skills concerning the resolution of commercial disputes through mediation -an approach increasingly encouraged in today’s deeply globalized economic world.
This year, the competition attracted 733 contestants across 201 teams from 28 universities and other institutions offering legal training nationwide, including Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, the Vietnam Court Academy, Hanoi Law University, the University of Law of the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, the National Economics University, the Foreign Trade University, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, and the University of Law of Hue University. This shows the competition’s influence and prestige among Vietnamese law students.
In the third round, where teams competed for the gold medal in the Mediator category with the topic “Intellectual Property Dispute”, the contestants could demonstrate their in-depth legal knowledge, negotiation skills, and ability to manage a full mediation session in the final Mediation round.
DTU’s Run team (consisting of Duong Thi Hong Ngoc, Ly Thi Men, Duong Thi Tuyet Ngan, and Tran Thi Xuan Huong) won many impressive awards.
Silver medal in Mediator category
Competing teams worked through two dispute scenarios to determine the top ten to advance to the final dispute resolution - a mediation session between two companies over the ownership rights of a famous candy brand developed by one of them.
At the heart of the case was a conflict between legal ownership rights and actual business interests. The mediators’ task was to mediate and protect both parties’ interests.
Silver medal in Mediator category. Photo: DTU
The DTU team showed their mediation skills, attentive listening, ability to ask timely questions, and sensitive expression of viewpoints, which made both sides feel respected in terms of their rights and obligations.
In addition to their solid legal knowledge, the team stood out with their effective communication, deep empathy, and flexible improvisation. These qualities contributed to a professional style and created a genuine connection between the two parties.
“As a mediator, I stick to a neutral role without trying to determine which side is right,” Hong Ngoc, the student who acted as the mediator, explains. “I focus on maintaining an atmosphere of goodwill and mutual respect - helping both parties recognize their shared interests and the potential for long-term collaboration instead of dwelling on the current conflict. That is the essence of mediation.
“Beyond our sound strategies and smooth teamwork, I believe it was our persistence in keeping both sides emotionally balanced and connected that led us to success and earned us the silver medal in the Mediator category.”
Duong Quoc Thanh, a lawyer and mediator at the Vietnam Mediation Center and a member of the jury, highly praised the mediation by the DTU team: “The team’s mediators followed all procedures correctly, managed their time effectively, knew how to summarize the issues after each session, and asked insightful questions. This fostered an atmosphere of goodwill between the parties.”
DTU’s Run team competes in all legal dispute scenarios
Throughout the competition, the students took on the roles of lawyers and legal representatives for various businesses. They were responsible for protecting the lawful rights and interests of the companies they represented.
To perform this role well, a legal representative must not only possess strong legal knowledge but also demonstrate flexible soft skills to defend the company’s interests without harming the relationship with the opposing party.
Bronze medal for DTU in the Party to Mediation category. Photo: DTU
With that mindset, the Run team carefully analyzed their client’s lawful interests and clearly identified the boundaries for negotiation before each mediation session. This allowed the team to remain firm in their position yet be flexible enough to listen and adjust when necessary. During presentations, they chose a calm, respectful, and constructive approach rather than confrontation or reproaches.
“As a party in the mediation, we always had it clear that the goal was not to beat them, but to come to a win–win situation,” student Tuyet Ngan explains. “Each of our legal arguments had a second objective of finding a fair and reasonable solution - not of confrontation. This approach is what allowed us to protect our client’s legitimate interests and achieve a good result in the contest.
“Participating in the Vietnam Mediation Moot 2025 was a truly meaningful experience for us. It deepened our understanding of the role of mediation in commerce and honed our communication, negotiation, and practical problem-solving skills. After the competition, we noticed clear improvement in our ability to understand the other party’s perspective, manage our emotions, and respond flexibly. These are invaluable lessons that allow us to learn and grow on our journey toward becoming professional legal practitioners and to promote the spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and respect for the law in business.”
(Media Center)