Team Spotlight

Guided by its vision of "Global, Forward-looking, and Youth-oriented," SCIA has long been committed to fostering exchanges and cooperation in international investment arbitration and to nurturing legal talent with a global perspective. Since SCIA first introduced the FDI Moot Shenzhen in 2020, this competition has been held for seven years. It has become a key driver in building the Greater Bay Area talent hub and strengthening Shenzhen's business environment under the rule of law. The competition also serves as an important step to implement the central government's first batch of comprehensive reform tasks, build an international joint arbitration centre, and develop foreign-related legal professionals.

In October 2026, SCIA will host the FDI Moot Global Rounds—the first time that a global round of the three major international moot court competitions will be held in Mainland China. Over 300 leading international investment arbitration experts and more than 60 top-tier teams worldwide are expected to gather in Shenzhen.

Over the past seven years, the competition has witnessed the growth of young Chinese legal talents in international arbitration. Looking ahead, SCIA will continue to deepen its efforts in youth talent development and accelerate its journey towards becoming a truly global international arbitration centre.

Introduction to the FDI Moot and FDI Moot Shenzhen 2026

The Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot), together with the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot and the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, is known as the "World's Three Greatest Moot Competitions". The competition is divided into a global competition and regional/national competitions,  sharing the same case problem and materials. Teams are required to pass the regional/national competitions to qualify for the global competition.

The "FDI Moot Shenzhen" is the only opportunity for Chinese teams to advance to the global competition. It is exclusively organised by SCIA and has been continuously held for 6 years. Last year, the event attracted nearly 44 teams and received strong support from 24 international organisations (including well-known overseas arbitration institutions) as well as 11 renowned law firms. More than 200 arbitrators from over 30 countries and regions acted as arbitrators for the event, garnering highly positive feedback.