On 26 April 2026, the 20th National University “Golden Gavel Cup” Moot Court Competition was held in Shanghai. Representing the Faculty of Law at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), the competing team was mentored by Assistant Professor Xue Wenchao and composed of four undergraduate students: Wang Xiyou, Gao Kangwei, Chen Yitong and Yang Shuhui.
The team was awarded the Second Prize in the preliminary round and successfully qualified for the offline final stage. Within the lineup, Wang Xiyou and Gao Kangwei served as defense counsel during the mock court trial. Standing out with poised and compelling courtroom performance, Chen Yitong claimed the Individual Best Demeanor Award, demonstrating the outstanding professionalism and teamwork of MUST law students.
Assistant Professor Xue Wenchao (far right) alongside team members
Chen Yitong recipient of the Individual Best Demeanor Award
First inaugurated in 2009, the “Golden Gavel Cup” is the longest-running and most influential cross-regional practical moot court competition in East China. Distinguished by its strict principle of no prepared scripts, no rehearsals and authentic judicial cases, the competition replicates real courtroom procedures. It offers law students immersive adversarial experiences to consolidate academic knowledge and enhance comprehensive competencies, establishing a vital bridge connecting legal theories with professional practice.
Hosted jointly by the Shanghai Law Society and Shanghai University, this year’s competition drew participation from 147 prestigious institutions across China, including Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Wuhan University, Nanjing University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. A total of 12 elite teams advanced to the final round.
