Education
THE University of Calabar, UNICAL, has won the World Best Oralist Competition held at the National Aeronautics Space Administration, NASA, headquarters, Washington DC, United States of America.
The University which fielded Students that represented the entire Africa continent at the International Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition also emerged runners up in the competition.
The event held recently in the US was part of activities marking the 2019 International Astronautical Congress, IAC.
Reacting, Professor Zana Akpagu, vice chancellor of the University, said that he was proud of the achievements and very positive about all the national and international accolades UNICAL is receiving under his watch.
He said that he was not surprised as UNICAL has produced some of the best Legal Practitioners in Nigeria and the world at large.
He recalled that Justice Eboe-Osuji, current President of the International Criminal Court, ICC, Justice Chile, is a Unical law graduate, noting that he will not rest on his oars to ensure the University takes it rightful place in the league of Universities in the world.
Members of the International Law Students Association, ILSA, Faculty of Law, Unical who represented Africa along with their coach, Anne Uruegi Agi include Nelly-Helen Neji Ebruka, Augustine Eneji Ushie and John Chinomso Kaunda.
At the semi-finals rounds of the global contest, the UNICAL team triumphed over their challengers from North America represented by students of McGill University, Canada, to book a spot in the finals.
At the finals, UNICAL competed against the winners of the European Regional Rounds from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
At the end of the Competition where UNICAL emerged as runners-up, Augustine Ushie, a member of the team emerged as the BEST ORALIST of the entire Competition.
The teams argued a case concerning disputes arising from Military Uses of Space Resources by hypothetical States of Suniza vs Azazi.
Additional issues were presented regarding the use of abandoned Lunar facilities and liability for damages resulting from an explosion on the moon.
The trial was presided over by Justices of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, the trio of Joan Donoghue, Peter Tomka and Kirill Gevorgian.
Annually, the International Institute of Space Law, IISL, organizes the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, with over 60 teams participating.
The African Regional Round was hosted in Pretoria, South Africa in May, 2019 by the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) where the University of Calabar beat 5 other African Universities to emerge as the African Champions.
At the regional rounds, where UNICAL emerged as the African Champions, Nelly-Helen Neji Ebruka had received the award of Best Oralist for the African round, a feat which her colleague Augustine Ushie replicated at the World rounds.
– Nov. 4, 2019 @ 11:25 GMT |
Tags: UNICAL wins World Best Oralist Competition
