A Rhodes University law student has scooped top honours in a prestigious essay competition normally won by Cambridge, Harvard and Georgetown universities.Jason Houston-McMillan, 23, said there was “a lot of fist-pumping” when he heard he had won the international SIEL/CUP essay competition.
“A lot of people have asked me if I thought I’d have a chance at winning – I think I definitely believed I had a chance, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it, but knowing the calibre of competition I was very surprised when I did win.”
Rhodes Dean of Law Dr Rosaan Kruger described the win as fantastic for Houston-McMillan and the university.
“He has done us proud. The fact that he won this prestigious international essay competition is testament to the quality education the faculty offers.”
Houston-McMillan said he came across his topic while going through the World Trade Review looking for something that interested him when he “landed on” Technical Barriers to Trade and discussed it with his supervisor Vicky Heideman, who lectures in international trade law.
Heideman said the win was significant considering he was competing against undergraduates, post-graduates and people who graduated in law over the past five years.
To a person with no legal background, the title of his essay: A critical analysis of the legitimate regulatory distinction test as conceived in US-Clove Cigarettes, US-Tuna II and US-COOL may seem “somewhat ambiguous” – until Houston-McMillan explains it.
“It’s basically an extended look at three trade disputes, centred on non-tariff barriers to international trade.
“It mainly focuses on a test developed by the dispute settlement bodies in these cases: what it means, how it should operate versus how it actually operates, and its effect on the current international trade landscape.”
Besides cash, Cambridge University Press book vouchers and a three-year subscription to the World Trade Review journal, Houston-McMillan also earned the opportunity to submit his essay to the World Trade Review for consideration with a view to early publication. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Rhodes law student scoops top essay prize
Jason Houston-McMillan, 23, said there was “a lot of fist-pumping” when he heard he had won the international SIEL/CUP essay competition.
“A lot of people have asked me if I thought I’d have a chance at winning – I think I definitely believed I had a chance, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it, but knowing the calibre of competition I was very surprised when I did win.”
Rhodes Dean of Law Dr Rosaan Kruger described the win as fantastic for Houston-McMillan and the university.
“He has done us proud. The fact that he won this prestigious international essay competition is testament to the quality education the faculty offers.”
Houston-McMillan said he came across his topic while going through the World Trade Review looking for something that interested him when he “landed on” Technical Barriers to Trade and discussed it with his supervisor Vicky Heideman, who lectures in international trade law.
Heideman said the win was significant considering he was competing against undergraduates, post-graduates and people who graduated in law over the past five years.
To a person with no legal background, the title of his essay: A critical analysis of the legitimate regulatory distinction test as conceived in US-Clove Cigarettes, US-Tuna II and US-COOL may seem “somewhat ambiguous” – until Houston-McMillan explains it.
“It’s basically an extended look at three trade disputes, centred on non-tariff barriers to international trade.
“It mainly focuses on a test developed by the dispute settlement bodies in these cases: what it means, how it should operate versus how it actually operates, and its effect on the current international trade landscape.”
Besides cash, Cambridge University Press book vouchers and a three-year subscription to the World Trade Review journal, Houston-McMillan also earned the opportunity to submit his essay to the World Trade Review for consideration with a view to early publication. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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