The First Day

The first morning of this week began a little bit rushing not only for me but also for all people at the moot competition. When I came into the judge room to get news for the blog website, Mr Anthony John Aristei was there reading something.

He was very willing to share with me his feelings about the competition. He highly appreciated the preparation of the Hochiminh City University of Law for this international event. According to his advice for mooters, there are 2 keys of P which are Preparation and Presentation. The mooters should have a good preparation then a good presentation.

After that, the other judges likewise came in and had a first briefing altogether before coming to the court room.

By Trần Thị Phương Hạnh
Lecturer, Faculty of Commercial Law

Welcome Party

to be updated :D

We are ready :)

Two days before the opening of The Moot Competition in Viet Nam.

At 9.00 Am, we all presented at room A402.

“Could you please fill in these forms?”

“The Arbitral Tribunal is now in session…”

Everybody worked under a high pressure.

“All rise”…

“The Arbitral Tribunal is now adjourned. Counsel and spectators will please clear the courtroom to allow the judges to deliberate.”

Although these words became our Haunting worry, sometimes we had to burst into laughter because of some humorous friends

You know we were practicing to do well at the Moot competition.

Until 12.00, everything seemed to be very terrible because most of us did not do well. We encouraged each others.

From 1 to 1.30pm, we had a short break. After that we continue our practice.

In the afternoon, with the assistance of Mr Ha and Mrs Hien, we did better.

Can you guess who we are? We are volunteers (bailiff, time keeper, judge assistant) for the Moot Competition in Viet Nam. We are students of Ho Chi Minh city university of Law. It’s very tired after many days of training to prepare for the Moot Competition, but we feel very happy. I think this is a great honour. We would try our best to make everything well.

ALL FOR A SUCCESSFUL MOOT COMPETITION IN VIET NAM!


By Nguyễn Ngọc Trà My
Student, Faculty of Administrative Law

The final rehearsal for Moot Competition

At 1:30 PM, everybody gathered on 7^th floor and was ready for the rehearsal.

These girls are so cute in the green Áo Dài, a Vietnamese formal traditional costume. They are the members of receptionist group.

This is the judge room. Some lecturers and students playing roles as judges are awaiting the appearance of judge assistants.

Here are them... Mr. and Ms. Assistants look so self-confident and professional...

Mrs. Hà Thị Thanh Bình is instructing students being the role of assistants.

The judges are coming to the court room. And the following snaps are the scenes of the court room

Mooter Luong The Huy

After all activities, students were trained again and confirmed as well as updated information for the real moot court.

It is able to say that everything is ready for the competition. We hope the moot court would proceed successfully.

By Trần Thị Phương Hạnh
Lecturer, Faculty of Commercial Law

Tourist Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City

1. Reunification Hall (formerly known as Independence Palace or Norodom Palace) is a historic landmark in Ho Chi Minh city, Viet Nam.

Photo by Martin (Lund Univ.)

With the meaning of an era, witness the rise and fall in the history of Viet Nam, Independence Palace attracts tourists not only in the historic value but also in the landscape and the architecture of which is one of the most beautiful projects in this city with an area nearly 12 hectares.

The first impression when you go there is the very green grass cover which is on the front of the Palace.

The Palace has four sides:

- The front of the Palace is (on the Northeast) on the Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street.

- Behind of the Palace is (on the Southwest) on the Huyen Tran Cong Chua street.

- Left of the Palace is (on the Northwest) on the Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street.

- Right of the Palace is (on the southeast) on Nguyen Du street.

The Palace consists of 4 main floors, 1 terrace, 2 mezzanines, 1 basement and a 1 terrace for hellicopter. There are over 100 rooms with different decoration which is depended on the purposes of using these rooms.

If you want to visit this Palace the schedule is:

- Morning: 7. 30am – 11am

- Afternoon: 1pm – 4pm

Open every day (consist of Saturday, Sunday and even on the festival day)

You can buy ticket from the booth near the front gate on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street.

2. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica (or Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica).

Photo by Thủy Hiền

It is the cathedral located on 1 Cong Xa Paris, 1^st district. It is very near Independence Palace. From this Palace you can go through Le Duan street to the roundabout, turn right and you can see Saigon Cathedral.

The Saigon Cathedral is center of traffic. We can not only approach the front but also the other sides. The front of it is opposite the SHB Bank’s building, the back is opposite Diamond Plaza building, the left is opposite Saigon centre Post office and the right is opposite the 30^th April park.

It is designed by architect J. Bourad, revised Roman style mixed with Gothic elements. The design was the most beautiful one in a French colony at that time.

3. Saigon central Post office

Photo by Martin (Lund Univ.)

It is located on the 2^nd Cong xa Paris, near Saigon Notre-Dame and Diamond Plaza, a shopping centre.

The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century. It has a Gothic architectural style. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in harmony with the surrounding area. Today, the building is a tourist attraction.

4. Ben Thanh market

Ben Thanh Market is a big marketplace in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in District One. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and today is considered one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài, and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.

At Ben Thanh market, you can find more foreigner customers than VietNamses ones so shopkeeper can speak foreign languages very well.

Ben Thanh market is located near Quach Thi Trang square, you can go there by bus easily because opposite the Ben Thanh market is the Bus station headquater.

5. Saigon Opera House

Photo by Thủy Hiền

The Saigon Opera House is considered an opera house centre of Ho Chi Minh city where is held a lot of artistic stage and important events. It is located on Dong Khoi street, District One.

It was designed by architect Eugene Ferret. The construction started in 1897. The function of the theatre and the opera house was fully restored in 1995. Ho Chi Minh City Opera house is a smaller copy of the opera house in Hanoi, which was built according to Opera Garnier in Paris . The theatre was built in flamboyant Gothic style.

7. Ho Chi Minh city Hall

Photo by Thủy Hiền

Ho Chi Minh City Hall (Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Head office) was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon. It was renamed after 1975 as Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Illuminated at night, the building is not opened to the public or for tourists.

It is considered the most beautiful architecture in this city.

If you are standing at Sai gon Opera House, the Ho Chi Minh city Hall is opposite, so you can pass the flower-park on Le Loi street and you will see Ho Chi Minh city Hall. It is located on Nguyen Hue street.

Compiled by Nguyễn Thanh Thư

Lecturer, Faculty of Civil Law

HCMC University of Law

Welcome to HoChiMinh City

Photo by Thủy Hiền

My hometown has being named of our talent and respected leader, Ho Chi Minh who led the Vietnamese people and the country to a glorious and proud victory in the revolution for the national liberty and reunification, sine 1976. It is one of the biggest and most developed cities of Vietnam. The Politburo’s Resolution 01 (1982) positioned Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) as a political importance just behind Hanoi. In recent years, the growth rate of HCMC is over 100% with the balance at different fields, its GDP accounts for nearly one-third of that of the whole country and its GDP value in comparing with the national GDP value in 2004 was more than VND 131.5 trillion/362.1 trillion. The gross fiscal budget input of HCMC in 2005 and 2006 reached VND 60,487 billion and 69,394 billion respectively.
Concerning the geography configuration, HCMC is located in the middle of the South of Vietnam. It borders Dong Nai at the eastern side, Long An at the western side, Binh Duong and Tay Ninh at the north and Tien Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau at the south. The total area of HCMC is about 2,095 km2. It consists of 19 districts (quận) and 5 suburbs (huyện). District 1 is the central one where many administrative authorities are sited and many commercial activities/events are taken place. I would like to introduce Cu Chi suburb which is of historic places, too. Cu Chi is famous with tunnels and real legends of the fight for the motherland’s freedom and independence. The Saigon River is like a green galaxy separating the flat area of the city. It brings cool breezes in order to calm the city’s tropical heat and rushing life down. It must be really great if we sit in a boat, enjoy the delicious meals served by the friendly and lovely crew and take a tour on this river at night.

HCMC belongs to the South of Vietnam therefore it is closer to the equator than the others. Indeed, it is cooler than the others instead of being really hot because of its position next to sea. Differing from the North, there are 4 obvious seasons, HCMC solely has 2 seasons, the raining and the drying. Even though which season it is, the land here is very fertile and good for many classes of plants. There is plenty of fruits through full year such as durians, rambutans, longans,mangoes, dragon fruits, avocados, coconuts, more and more...

Telling here, I am very keen on telling you about Vietnamese foods. Wow... Yum...Yummy... There are hundreds, I suppose thousands, of Vietnamese meals, remarkably are Phở (Vietnamese rice noodles), Chả giò (Spring rolls), Bánh xèo (a kind of pancake)... The meals from several areas and zones likewise are served in small shops to more luxurious restaurants. By night, visitors also enjoy Vietnamese foods at trading streets while go shopping there. HCMC has a busy night life, shops and trading centres may keep opening during night.... Wo...oow... the visitors and tourists can be free for shopping. There are so many entertainments at night – bars, clubs, theatres, cinemas, etc. are other choices if you are not interested in shopping and foods.

Turned over the normal life, HCMC had more than 7 million people, the population density is about 3,401 people/km2 up to August 2009. It seems to be so crowded here. The per capita in 2007 was about 2,100 USD/year which is much more than the average of the comprehensive country. With such population, the daily life in HCMC is rather rushing and stuffy. It is ridiculously said that traffic jams are of the characteristics of HCMC. As the result, the HCMC People’s Council has dynamically supported to the projects to improve the infrastructure as Dai lo Dong Tay (East-West freeway), Duong ham Thu Thiem (Thu Thiem Subway). These show the growth of the city in part.

About culture, HCMC is a city which is pretty active and original but people and the City Council also pay attention on preserving and improving traditional cultural values as well as enriching it by exchange of the quintessence of others’ culture. Have you ever heard about Cai Luong? It is a vivid demonstration. Cai Luong is a traditional form of opera of the south of Vietnam, especially Saigon in past and HCMC at present. It appeared nearly 100 years ago and it was the combination of the Vietnamese culture (Tuong from the North – a kind of opera) and the Oriental and Western culture (French modern drama then China’s Guangdong opera). In particular, it is Vietnamese language which is the latinization of the former national linguistic. Nowadays, HCMC shows a traditional Vietnamese culture with its own characteristics of the southern countryside regions (such as Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham, Khmer, Indian constructions, Fork tunes, Ao dai, etc.) and a modern Vietnamese culture which precisely influenced of the French and American cultures (for instance the architectural structures of Nha Rong Wharf, the City Post Office, Grand Theatre, City Hall, Ben Thanh Market, Independent Palace, the fashion and music of Jeans, Hip-Hop and so on). The freedom on religion is respected and the abundance on religion is also considered a typical characteristic of HCMC. The Notre Dame in Paris is very famous. So, do you know that there is another Notre Dame in HCMC? It is a famous Christian church of HCMC, located in the heart of the city. The Vinh Nghiem temple is deemed to be a big and popular pagoda for the Buddhists.

HCMC is deemed as the national centre for education, science, technology and healthy care. The statistical indicators in 2005 disclosed the number of university-college teachers and students respectively were 9,631 and 297,100. Moreover, the City Council gave the practical programme in order to develop the human resource the “300 masters and doctorates”. And up to 2008, HCMC had 71 universities and colleges within the total of 369 universities and colleges. The HCMC University of Technology, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the University of Education are of the oldest and famous universities at HCMC. It is also necessary to mention the HCMC University of Law, where the Moot Competition 2009 is going to start in November 2009, it is the official and professional university educating and training different legal majors within the Southern region. There are 65 institutes and sub-institutes of science and technology, and 36 centres for researching and applying science with around 8,300 scientists. HCMC is the largest health care centre in Vietnam with many well-equipped hospitals and well-trained doctors. There are 36 hospitals now in the city and Cho Ray hospital is assessed as the leading and up-dated hospital in specific technology and medical knowledge and skills .
Overall, HCMC is constantly changing and developing in all fields. HCMC’s appearance being the energetic and modern city is the worthy proof. The achievements which HCMC gained during the Doi Moi (Revolution) process are the pride of the whole urban people and those deserve its name, HO CHI MINH –the name of our beloved chief.

Come and discover my hometown! You must be delighted and breathtaking. Ho Chi Minh City is always welcome all of you. In particular, by this November, HCMC University of Law is very glad and joyful to welcome the candidates of the Moot Competition 2009. We hope you would have a great time and the considerable experience here. Now, be ready and work up!

Compiled by Trần Thị Phương Hạnh
Lecturer, Faculty of Commercial Law
HCMC University of Law

Ho Chi Minh City University of Law

Ho Chi Minh City University of Law is the leading legal education institution in the South of Vietnam. Since the establishment in 1996, the university has gained great progress both in scale and in quality of education. Thanks to the accomplished and intellectual staff and faculties, we have achieved much success in teaching and doing research, which contributes to a better community, national development and international cooperation

This website provides official information to staffs, lecturers, students of the university as well as individuals, units, and organizations nationwide and worldwide, those who are interested in learning about or cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City University of Law.

MISSION

Ho Chi Minh City University of Law is the leading legal education institution in the South of Vietnam. Since the establishment in 1996, the university has gained great progress both in scale and in quality of education. Thanks to the accomplished and intellectual staff and faculties, we have achieved much success in teaching and doing research, which contributes to a better community, national development and international cooperation

Objectives of Ho Chi Minh University of Law

- Building Ho Chi Minh City University of Law into an educational institution for undergraduate and postgraduate with high standard and quality so as to provide high qualified human resource for society, especially for Southern provinces.

- Becoming a center for education and research, covering basic studies and applied learning, relevant to different types of education, in order to contribute to solve critical problems in legal science locally and nationally.

- Becoming a modern institution for education and academic research with modern infrastructure and technical facilities, aiming at creating a good environment for teaching, studying and other activities, applying new achievements and media into education and research, utilizing the academic research for the community, building international relations worldwide, and playing a key role, a leader and a reliable mainstay for other legal institutions in Southern provinces.

(Extracted from Ho Chi Minh University of Law’s Strategic Plans, phase 1999-2005)

HISTORY

In 1982, after the re-establishment of the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of Justice issued Decision no 199-QĐ/DT dated October 16^th 1982 on the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh High School of Legal Studies, developed from the contemporary School for Judicial Staff. The school was responsible for training staffs with legal knowledge at intermediate level.

From 1983 to 1988, the school, in co-operation with the Hanoi University of Legal Studies, launched bachelor programs on legal studies.

On December 25^th 1987, the Chairman of Council of Ministers issued Decision No 357- CT on the establishment of Hanoi University of Legal Studies, Ho Chi Minh City branch, directly under Ministry of Justice. The branch’s mission is to cooperate with Hanoi University of Legal Studies to impart legal knowledge at university level to legal officials in Southern provinces.

On July 6^th1993, the Minister of Justice stipulated Decision no 368/QĐ-TC on renaming the University of Legal Studies, Ho Chi Minh City branch into University of Law, Ho Chi Minh City branch.

On March 30^th 1996, the Minister of Education and Training signed the Decision no 1234/GD&ĐT to establish The University of Law, directly under the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, on the merge of the University of Law, Ho Chi Minh City branch and the Law Faculty, Ho Chi Minh University.

On October 10^th 2000, the Prime Minister issued Decision no 118/2000/ QWĐ-TT to separate the Ho Chi Minh University of Law independently from the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since the establishment, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law has obtained great progress both in educational scale and quality. The organization is developing firmly with an increasing number of qualified teaching staff. So far, the total number of lecturers is 259, among which there are five associate professors, 18 doctors, 108 masters and most of the young lecturers are attending a postgraduate course.

The five main majors are: Trade Law, Criminal Law, Civil Law, Administrative Law and International Law and special LL.B programs for gifted students. Graduated students are equipped with sound legal knowledge and reasoning enabling them to work on different fields and become legal officials in southern provinces. In addition, the University offers LL.M programs of three majors: Criminal Law – Criminal Procedures, Economic Law – Economic Arbitration, and State Administration. The University is also running two doctorate programs of Economic Law and Criminal Law.

With great efforts of many generations, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law is firmly developed in many fields and is merited valuable awards by the Communist Party and the Government, namely:

- On March 25^th 2000, the University was awarded Labor Medal, ranked second, by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

- The University Party Committee has won the prize of powerful and stainless Party committee for many successive years. The Labor Union has been ranked excellent of Labor Union of Education Sector for many years.

- In 2001, the Youth Communist Party and the Student Society were awarded Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister for their contribution to student movements.

- On March 22^nd 2003, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law Association of Youth Communist Party was awarded the Labor Medal, ranked third, by the President of Vietnam. In 2004, Association of Youth Communist Party and Student Society of Ho Chi Minh City University of Law won the title of “Leading Flag” among universities in southern provinces.

Source: http://www.hcmulaw.edu.vn