Across the Arbitration Universe: Different Perspectives on Dispute Resolution in the Modern World

On 16-27 January 2023, the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration held its third edition of the Winter Academy on International Arbitration “Across the Arbitration Universe: Different Perspectives on Dispute Resolution in the Modern World”.

The program of the Academy included two weeks of interactive courses on various aspects of international arbitration. Among the participants of the Winter Academy were practicing lawyers, students, academics from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Nigeria, UK, Rwanda, India, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and many others. All participants completed the written assignment and were selected on its basis by the Advisory Committee, consisting of three lecturers from the Winter Academy: Viktoria Khandrimaylo (Counsel at HKIAC), Ksenia Koroteeva (Associate at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler) and Eugene Thong (Tribunal Secretary at the Arbitration Chambers).

The Academy was held in English. The courses were conveniently accessed via specially designed online platform that gave participants and lecturers an opportunity to get familiarized with the courses, have access to their materials, join the lectures, and communicate with each other, lecturers and organisers.

Courses

Within two weeks, the participants of the Academy attended classes, which were divided into four blocks: general courses, special courses, workshops, and guest lectures.

General courses focused on such core issues as the art of efficient arbitration (Prof. Janet Walker), interplay between arbitration and state courts (Prof. Doug Jones), interrelation of arbitration with mediation (Prof. James Claxton) and adjudication (Dr. Christopher To), differentiation of various applicable laws during arbitration (Prof. Dr. Alexander J. Belohlavek).

Special courses, workshops and guest lectures touched upon the following issues: role of arbitrator in technology-related disputes (Sophie Nappert), arbitration in Asia (Joe Liu), MENA (H.E. Justice Shamlan Al Sawalehi), Africa (Prof. Emilia Onyema) and Latin America (Cecilia Azar Manzur), how to use arbitration to resolve M&A disputes (Prof. Dr. H. Ercüment Erdem), psychological aspects оf arbitration (Dr. Myriam Gicquello), oral advocacy in cross examination (Francis Xavier) and role of tribunal secretaries (Victoria Khandrimaylo, Evgeniya Goriatcheva, Ksenia Koroteeva and Eugene Thong).

Moot Court

After their in-depth studies, the participants took part in the moot court, which allowed them to apply their knowledge in practice. They were expected to analyze the fictional case based on claims arising from the contract on the supply of capybaras for their exhibition at the petting zoo.

On behalf of claimant and respondent, the participants addressed the questions of impartiality and independence of arbitrators, validity and enforceability of the arbitration agreement due to incorrect identification of the arbitral institution contained therein, challenge of expert and provision of security for costs.

The moot court was judged by a panel consisting of three arbitrators:  Dr. Maria Filatova (Associate Prof., Higher School of Economics), Dr. Natalia Alenkina (Associate Prof., the American University of Central Asia) and Myriam Gicquello (Lecturer, Newcastle University), who provided valuable comments at the end of the hearing.

Support

With the help of the media partners, talented and interested lawyers from all over the world learned about our project and had the opportunity to join it: KCAB NEXT, TIAC, YIMA, RWA and APCAM. Our organizational partner, Jus Mundi, provided the participants with access to the world's leading information databases and libraries.

We also express our gratitude to the Organising committee of the Winter Academy, which was ready to assist participants, lecturers and partners on each step of the way: Yulia Mullina, Katarina Piskunovich, Ekaterina Petrenko and Margarita Drobyshevskaya.

We are very grateful to all the lecturers and participants of the Winter Academy. They definitely contributed to making the Academy one of the brightest educational projects in international arbitration.

Feedback

Boris Kruglikov, participant of the Winter Academy

The Winter Academy has been an incredible experience for me. It was a unique opportunity to enhance my expertise and connect with brilliant arbitration enthusiasts from around the world. I specifically loved how user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing the Winter Academy Platform was. The quality of the material and the tutors was unmatched as well. It will just suffice to mention the nuanced and entertaining cross-examination workshop from Mr. Francis Xavier, or Mr. Joe Liu's informative presentation about arbitration in Asia, or Mr. James Claxton's insight into the operation of the Singapore Convention. The best thing is that I could just go on and on, for each and every lecture was memorable and practically useful. There is no room for reservations when deciding whether or not to take part in the Winter Academy.

David Edet, participant of the Winter Academy

The Winter Academy on International Arbitration is an incredible platform to learn, network and connect with some of the brightest minds in international arbitration. The tutors are world-class arbitrators with vast experience in international arbitration. The lectures are very informative, practical, insightful and thought-provoking. Being part of the 2023 Winter Academy on International Arbitration has indeed placed me a step ahead in my career. I would definitely recommend the Winter academy on International Arbitration to arbitration practitioners who want to get ahead in their career.

Thalia Jimenez, participant of the Winter Academy

Participating in this course gave me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge and perspective on international arbitration. Learning about how arbitration is carried out in different countries and listening to the lectures of renowned professors has enriched my learning. I also found the structure of the winter course very interesting, in addition to the interesting topics that were addressed, each class had a theoretical and practical approach, with examples that made us better understand each point. Finally, the moot court at the end of the course seemed to me an excellent way to consolidate all that was learned, through the search to formulate a good defense strategy and the development of oral skills. Thank you very much for the opportunity and for organizing this event!

The Winter Academy takes place annually. To learn more about participation, please follow the Academy’s website https://modernarbitration.ru/en/academy/winter/about or drop an email to event@centerarbitr.ru.