Wu Aijie, a 2021 master’s student in international law at the w88 casino of Law, w88 casino, studied under Professor Ding Ding. While in w88 casino, he ranked 2/83rd in overall academic performance, and received honors such as Beijing Municipal and w88 casino-level Outstanding Graduates, National Scholarship, First-Class Academic Scholarship, Ministry of Commerce Unidroit Scholarship, International Student Subject Competition Excellence Scholarship, and O’Melveny Scholarship Candidate. He has participated in the "Jessup" International Law Moot Court Competition as a debater and student coach for two consecutive years. He has personally won the "Best Debater" in the domestic competition and the top 100 debaters in the international competition. The team advanced to the top 32 in the world in 2022, won the runner-up in the domestic competition in 2023, advanced to the top 48 in the world, and won the world's best pleading award (16th place). He went to Fangda Law Firm and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in Rome for internships. After graduation, he plans to study "Peace, Justice and Development" in international public law at Leiden University.

The starlight does not disappoint the travelers

Mentioning the unforgettable experience when she first entered Huiyuan, Wu Aijie recalled the nervousness and longing in her heart during the mock court selection interview. The seniors' fluent spoken English, high-quality questions, and patient and gentle comments made her see the gap between herself and them, and also ignited her inner desire to catch up and stand shoulder to shoulder with them. After being selected into the competition team, Wu Aijie made unremitting efforts in both pleading writing and court defense training. The scenery at the entrance of the scientific research building changes with the seasons, but what remains unchanged is the starlight overhead when you leave there every night. Although most of my life during that period was occupied by game preparations, when asked, "If the world were to end now, would you regret playing Jessup?", the answer of "No regrets!" still blurted out at that moment. Because, the days and nights of moving forward firmly in the same direction with the excellent and lovely student coaches and team members are pure and happy. The in-depth search and polishing of the language of the written statement are painful but you can actually feel the progress. When preparing for court defense, Wu Aijie carefully recorded the questions asked by the judges in each mock debate or domestic competition, and carefully considered the considerations and concerns behind the questions, and continued to practice, striving for more substantial content output and a more robust court defense style. The stars have lived up to their expectations, and the w88 law team has advanced to the top 32 in the world in 2022, creating a breakthrough for the college. The team video recorded by everyone in their hometown dialect also won the third place in the "King & Spalding Jessup Spirit Award". Because of missing this joy and love, as a student coach, Wu Aijie continued to invest in preparations for the next competition. The rich experience and the change of perspective have given her a deeper understanding and appreciation of many aspects of the game. She is also very happy to have met more junior students with ideals and outstanding abilities. The fatigue and anxiety she once experienced have fortunately become resonant notes at this moment, allowing her to help the new team members overcome those difficulties. In 2023, the UNCITRAL team won the runner-up in the Jessup domestic competition, and continued to advance into the top 48 in the world, winning the Global Letter Award (16th place).

Looking back, the journey of moot court carries the courage and purity of going all out, which often inspires me to keep moving forward when encountering the cold winter again.

Practice to reach far and achieve perfection

Under the leadership and guidance of her mentor Professor Ding Ding, Wu Aijie participated in the research project "Construction of China's Carbon Trading Legal System from the Perspective of International Law and Comparative Law" as a research assistant. This valuable research experience made Wu Aijie develop an interest in research on issues such as sustainable development and climate change, and accumulated relevant research foundations. When she saw the topic of "sustainable development and environmental and social governance" in the internship recruitment information of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, she submitted the application materials without hesitation and was successfully admitted to the "Legal Nature of Voluntary Carbon Credits" research project. While receiving funding from the China Scholarship Council, she also received the Unidroit Scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Commerce. With the help and full support of the teachers at the law w88 casino, she successfully went to Rome, Italy for an internship project. Whether she comes to live in an overseas city for a long time or works in an international organization, it is a completely new experience for her. "Remember where you came from and understand where you are going" are the words engraved in her heart. In the research project, she focused on providing detailed materials for the project team to understand relevant practices in China, collecting and summarizing relevant legal regulations, practical situations and academic results, and striving to provide China's practical reference for the working group to form an international model law. In terms of pursuing the academic ideal of international law, she also hopes to personally observe and experience the development models and trends of international law in practice through internships in international organizations. During the internship, Wu Aijie also met many scholars and colleagues from different countries. Their enthusiasm, friendliness, efficiency and conscientiousness impressed her deeply and inspired her to continue to accumulate and explore during this period of practice.

There is a warm light on the way, so I don’t realize the distance is far

In the past two years, the constant encounters with sincerity and beauty made the pace of time seem particularly hasty. Looking back on the past, Wu Aijie hopes to express her most sincere gratitude to her family and mentors who have provided constant help and encouragement along the way: "Thank you to all the teachers at the law w88 casino, thank you to my mentor, Mr. Ding, for your encouragement, careful guidance and meticulous help, thank you to Mr. Chi, Mr. Ji and Mr. Gong for your enthusiastic guidance and encouragement, thank you to my counselor, Mr. Wu, for your meticulous care, and thank you for not being stingy. Seniors and sisters who are helping me. In a compact and fulfilling life, I will inevitably fall into some moments of depression and self-doubt. The continued love and support of my family and the sincere and warm encouragement and companionship of my friends have given me the courage to move forward on the "slow and clumsy" road and learn to "adapt myself and become myself". Therefore, I feel lucky and happy to meet and know you from the bottom of my heart."

This September, Wu Aijie will go to The Hague, Netherlands, to continue her study of public international law at Leiden University. She said that she would cherish all the growth and warmth she gained from the w88 casino of Law of the University of w88 and Economics, and will always remember them in her heart. These have become her motivation to move forward, illuminating the unknown journey ahead.

(Contributed by Law w88 casino)