STL had a strong showing at the 17th Peking University Young Teachers’ Teaching Competition, December 9 in Beijing. John Aycock, Lecturer of Law and Director of Graduate and International Programs, and Yi Seul Kim, C.V. Starr Lecturer of Law, both earned top prizes in the Humanities and Social Sciences category. Aycock earned First Prize and the Best Lesson Plan Award; Kim earned Third Prize. Dozens of faculty from Peking University’s Beijing and Shenzhen campuses participated in the competition.
Aycock, who also serves as the coach of STL’s Vis International Arbitration Moot team, presented a class on contract law and advertisements as enforceable offers. Kim presented on reading judicial opinions and the duty to warn.
“Peking University’s encouragement of continuing education opportunities such as the teaching competition reinforces the University’s commitment to students’ educational experience as a top priority,” said Aycock.
“This was a very good opportunity to meet passionate teachers who experiment with unique teaching methods. I learned a lot from this experience,” said Kim, a graduate of STL’s Class of 2014, who went on to earn her LL.M. from Harvard Law School.
STL has enjoyed a track record of success at the PKU Young Teachers Teaching Competition. In 2015, Nathaniel Reisenberg, then C.V. Starr Lecturer of Law, won the First Prize in the Teaching Competition.
“STL’s tradition of positive reception in these events is a testament to the effectiveness of the unique teaching style we utilize, blending lecture, the Socratic method, and practical elements into a cohesive whole. There are numerous benefits to more robust engagement from students in seeking answers to difficult questions. Indeed, this is why many of our students decided to come to STL,” remarked Aycock.
