On 13 June 2024, Chen & Chang collaborated with the ADR Committee of Taiwan Bar Association and Ciarb Taiwan YMG to hold a sharing session on the topic ‘Cultivating a Career in International Arbitration’. Two distinguished speakers, Dr. David Fong FCIArb and Dr. Winnie Jo-Mei Ma FCIArb (joining online), were invited to share their experiences. The sharing session was conducted in hybrid mode facilitating online and in-person participants, and was moderated by the Chair of Ciarb Taiwan YMG, Dr. Pei-Jung Li MCIArb.
The event commenced with an announcement made by the Ciarb Taiwan Chapter Convenor, Dr. Helena Chen C.Arb FCIArb. In her remark, Dr. Chen highlighted the growth of the Chapter with the membership increasing from 53 to over 210 during her tenure, and announced the handover of the Convenor position to Ms. Alison Chang FCIArb, who founded Ciarb Taiwan YMG in 2019. Ms. Monica Wang FCIArb will continue serving as the Secretary-General of Taiwan Chapter.
In response to the announcement, Alison briefly recapped the history of Taiwan Chapter. She then shared her vision for leading it with Monica, which includes proactive engagement with other chapters and branches, continuous organization of ADR courses and events, and strong support for Taiwan YMG.
Following these remarks, the sharing session started in form of interactive dialogue with the moderator posing questions to the speakers in turn. Dr. Fong shared his career journey, transitioning from a certified accountant to an arbitrator, his first spark of enthusiasm, as well as the time and effort invested along the way. Dr. Ma shared with the participants how her career has demonstrated a blending path of scholarship and practice, and her experience in managing different roles. In particular, both speakers stressed the importance of foundational knowledge, quality of mindset, passion and determination, effective time-management, networking skills, and relation-building within the field to enhance self-visibility.
The sharing session was conducted in English and was attended by more than 60 participants online or in person. The participants showed significant interest in the content and raised questions about the speakers’ self-assessment of past decisions, the use of licenses and certificates in various jurisdictions, and the legal education and certification requirements for becoming an arbitrator.
Photo description:
(Top right) Dr. Winnie Jo-Mei Ma FCIArb
(Front row from left to right) Dr. Pei-Jung Li MCIArb, Dr. Helena Chen C.Arb FCIArb, Ms. Alison Chang FCIArb, Ms. Monica Wang FCIArb, and Dr. David Fong FCIArb
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