BRICS Lex Model 2025: A Successful Debut of a New Format of Competitions for Law Students
From 1 to 3 December 2025, the Higher School of Economics (HSE University) hosted the BRICS Lex Model (Model), organised by the HSE Faculty of Law. The Model was held as a simulation of an international diplomatic conference negotiating a new treaty on the promotion and protection of foreign investments. This was the first global student competition for law students to be held in such a format.
BRICS Lex Model 2025 brought together 11 university teams. Alongside five teams from leading Russian universities (HSE University, MGIMO, Kutafin Law University, RUDN and Ural State Law University), six teams represented universities from China, India, South Africa, and Belarus.
In preparation for the in-person stage, teams submitted written memorials, took part in the draw and three online training sessions, and prepared comments on the draft treaty concept. During the competition, all teams worked within six committees and spent a total of 18 hours in negotiations, each representing a BRICS member or a BRICS partner state.
The jury included specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Economic Development, practicing lawyers in investment law and arbitration, as well as academics. As the competition progressed, the Model evolved substantially: from one committee to another, teams became more active and confident in proposing changes to the zero draft, forming coalitions, advancing their ideas and testing various multilateral negotiation tactics. As a result, the delegations adopted the Terms of Reference (ToR) for a future international treaty on the promotion and protection of foreign investments.
The team from O.P. Jindal Global University (India) won first place, with another Indian team taking second place and the HSE University placing third. MGIMO finished fourth, and the East China University of Political Science and Law took fifth place.
The Best Speaker award went to Shes Shuban (O.P. Jindal Global University), with second place awarded to Yulia Abramova (MGIMO), third to Annushka Rao (India), fourth to Anton Leontyev (HSE University) and fifth to Nisha Deshpande (India). The Best Memorial was prepared by a team from India; Jindal Global University and HSE shared second place, followed by MGIMO, Ural State Law University and Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.
In the Best Negotiator category, the top three were Shes Shuban and Modi Nittyam (both O.P. Jindal Global University) and Annushka Rao (India).
The Centre for International and Comparative Legal Studies awarded the Best Coach prize to Evgeny Maksimov, coach of the Indian team.
At the award ceremony, on behalf of the Dean of the Faculty of Law V.Vinogradov, appreciation was expressed to the judges of the Model: S.Dyachenko (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation), A. Afendikova and O. Starshinova (Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation), practising lawyers: O. Tsvetkova and A. Nalgiev (Brevia), D. Zavershinskaya (Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners), V. Talanov (Law Offices EPAM) and E. Mazetova (Vostok Investments), as well as to the staff of the Centre for International and Comparative Legal Studies: E. Petrenko, S. Sarenkova, A. Petrenko, and also to the lecturers of the School of International Law of the HSE Faculty of Law E. Martynova and Yu. Rovnov.
Special appreciation was addressed to the law firm Brevia, which funded a travel grant for one of the teams, prepared prizes for the Best Negotiator nomination and actively supported the organisation of the competition, and to the Centre for International and Comparative Legal Studies, which sponsored the Best Coach nomination.
In addition, the role of the originators of the idea to hold the Model – Dean of the Faculty of Law V. Vinogradov and Vice-Dean for Research A. Larichev – as well as the lecturers of the School of International Law of the HSE Faculty of Law, thanks to whom this idea was brought to life, was acknowledged: V. Rusinova, A. Petrenko, E. Martynova, O. Starshinova, D. Boklan and S. Smirnova.
At the conclusion of the award ceremony, letters of appreciation for their assistance in organizing and conducting the Model were presented to the members of the student team: Maria Bessonova, Angelina Vasiltsova, Kamila Kabirova, Maria Kiktenko, Viktoria Kudinskaya, Aleksandr Lazarev, Vitalii Magun, Kseniia Merkulova, Alina Mingazova, Ekaterina Omelicheva, Anna-Maria Popova, Ivan Salychev, Ulyana Trifanova, as well as Aleksandra Filipyeva.