Visually-Impaired Version 
The Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU) team secured 12th place at the annual Philip C. Jessup International law moot court competition. This marks the highest rank ever achieved by a Kazakhstani team in the history of this prestigious competition.
The Jessup Cup took place from March 28 to April 4 in Washington, D.C. For the 24th time, the MNU team represented the Republic of Kazakhstan at the world’s largest student moot court competition. Kazakhstani students also excelled in the written submissions category, ranking first out of 806 teams from over 100 countries for their memorial.
“This is the best result in the country’s history. We are especially proud that the team took first place in the world for the best written memorial – a legal document that reflects the depth of analysis, quality of argumentation, and a high level of preparation. Behind this achievement lies the tremendous hard work of the students, coaches, and our entire team. This is a great victory not only for the university but for all of Kazakhstan,” – said Talgat Narikbayev, Chairman of the Board of MNU, in his congratulations to the students.
The competition simulates proceedings before the International Court of Justice of the United Nations and has been held annually since 1968, drawing teams from around the globe. During the tournament, the MNU team defeated representatives from universities in the United States, Colombia, the Philippines, and Italy, as well as the 2024 champions – the University of the Philippines and the 2025 champions – Singapore Management University. This year’s Jessup Cup winner was the National University of Singapore.
“I congratulate Maqsut Narikbayev University on this achievement. It is the first time a Kazakhstani team has reached such a level. This demonstrates the university’s high standards and significant progress,” – noted Daniel Vaisov, Vice Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The historic result was also celebrated at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States, where a reception was held for the MNU team. Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to the United States, highlighted the importance of the Kazakhstani students’ victory in such a competitive setting, where participants engage in two‑hour mock trials and present oral arguments in English. The university team included students from the International Law program: Anel Sapargalieva, Shynar Bayton, and Dana Kumargazy, along with coaches Rakhymbek Konylimkos, Zarina Temirbulatova, and Ramazan Kokzhalov.
“MNU has once again received a unique opportunity to represent Kazakhstan on the international stage. Our university regularly holds preparatory classes for this competition and encourages all undergraduate and graduate students to take part. Over time, our institutional memory has been preserved and passed down from generation to generation. This applies not only to the methods of drafting arguments in the memorial or how to perform during the oral rounds, but also to teamwork and the stages of preparation,” – emphasized MNU student Anel Sapargalieva.
It should be noted, that this achievement also allows Kazakhstan to be represented by two teams in next year’s competition.
