Brunel's Summer Programme on International Arbitration has concluded with resounding success, bringing together participants and leading experts from across the globe for five days of engaging lectures, skills training, and policy debates.
Hosted by Brunel Law School in collaboration with leading international law firms, the programme attracted participants and speakers from more than 20 countries, including the UK, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Serbia, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, South Korea and many more. This global reach reflects the truly international character of arbitration and the value of cross-border dialogue in the field.
Over the course of the week, attendees benefited from:
- Practical advocacy workshops delivered by seasoned arbitration practitioners.
- Lectures on international commercial and investment arbitration, covering topics such as arbitral procedure, substantive protections, equality and diversity, and reform of investor–state dispute settlement.
- Insights into specialist areas of arbitration, including energy, TMT, intellectual property, and sports disputes.
- A public keynote lecture on Arbitration in the Energy Sector by Prof. Dr Kaj Hobér (Uppsala University), hosted at King & Spalding.
The programme was also made possible thanks to the generous support of leading law firms, including Latham & Watkins, Boies Schiller Flexner, Fieldfisher, King & Spalding, Signature Litigation, and Blake Morgan, who hosted several sessions at their offices. The programme also benefited from the support of Transnational Dispute Management (TDM) / OGEMID as a media partner. See the full list of speakers.
Closing the programme, the participants were awarded certificates recognising their commitment and engagement, with Prof. Jurgita Malinauskaite (Head of Brunel Law School) praising the diverse and international cohort: “We're delighted by the success of this year’s Summer Programme, which has connected practitioners, academics, and students from around the world. The exchange of perspectives and experiences has been truly enriching, and we look forward to building on this momentum in future editions.”
This year's edition of the Brunel Summer Programme on International Arbitration was organised by Dr Boris Praštalo (Lecturer in Commercial Law) and Dr Filip Balcerzak (Lecturer in Law).
Dr Praštalo shared his brief reflections about the programme: "We're especially proud to welcome African practitioners whose perspectives greatly enriched the discussions. The programme’s mix of academic and practical approaches, alongside its focus on diverse niches such as sports arbitration and the TMT sector, made it a truly distinctive experience."
Summing up the overwhelmigly positive feedback by the participants, Dr Balcerzak said: "Attendees praised the programme for its strong practical focus, noting that the chance to learn from seasoned arbitration lawyers inside the leading law firms was an invaluable and distinctive feature. We look forward to building on this positive feedback and success next year.”