UiO's third time at the competition
The team was composed of Hilda Bævre Bergseth (Masters of Law programme), Anca Timofte, and Ramón Barreto (LL.M in Public International Law). This is the third time that an UiO team takes part in what is the largest international competition on international humanitarian law and the first time that its reaches the semi-finals.
The team was coached by Professor Gentian Zyberi, who is responsible for the course on International Humanitarian Law at the Faculty of Law. As part of the preparation for the competition, the team members went through several training rounds. Besides regular meetings with Professor Zyberi, the team was able to speak to former Picteists from UiO, and also to other experts in the field such as Tobias Köhler (Norwegian Red Cross), Camilla Guldahl Cooper (Norwegian Defense College), and Simon O’Connor (UN).
"Unique and enriching"
Each of the members of the team has shared their impressions from this one-week competition:
Hilda:
Jean-Pictet competition is something unique. It is an arena where people from all around the world meet to compete and learn about international humanitarian law. Passion for IHL in combination with different cultures and experiences, is something hard to beat. We have been challenged by competent people working with different topics within IHL, making tests close to current situations happening in the world. The learning outcome is huge and only something you can get by taking part in the competition yourself. This week has been a valuable experience, and I appreciate every single moment of it. So don’t hesitate if you also want to be a part of the Pictet-family!
Anca:
Participating in the Jean-Pictet competition was one of the most challenging and enriching experiences. By providing an inspiring, creative, and outstanding learning environment where “taking the law out of the books” was the primary objective, the competition helped me step out of my comfort zone and overcome my fears. Moreover, it has helped me evolve, deepen my knowledge about international humanitarian law and expand my horizons. I am grateful, happy, and proud to have had the opportunity to participate in the Jean-Pictet competition with the best teammates I could have asked for, whom I appreciate beyond words! I recommend this experience to every student eager to learn about the fascinating yet complex field of humanitarian law, meet passionate people from all over the world, and grow! Jean-Pictet is indeed a life-changing and a once in a lifetime experience!
Ramón:
The Jean-Pictet competition is all the clichés put together: a unique opportunity, a life-changing experience, and so on. I hardly doubt that any other academic space provides such a steep learning curve. We needed to blend applied legal knowledge and performance skills when responding to complex, interesting and up-to-date scenarios of humanitarian law along with many other branches of international law. And, the most wonderful fact was doing that whilst meeting participants from so many different nationalities and backgrounds from whom there was also a lot to learn and appreciate. I want to thank Professor Zyberi for the encouragement and my teammates for this memorable week together.
A growing tradition
Professor Zyberi expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts of the team and their excellent result, as well as the important support from the Faculty. Participating in the Jean Pictet competition is gradually becoming a tradition for UiO’s Faculty of Law.