In 2023, the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration launched a new educational project called the Academy for Arbitrators. The project is beneficial for experienced lawyers who want to delve deeper into dispute resolution, learn about the intricacies of international arbitration practices, and eventually seek appointments as arbitrators. Similar courses focusing on dispute resolution from the arbitrator’s perspective already exist on international platforms. However, it is the very first time when such a course has been introduced in Russian and in face-to-face format. The course covered topics such as arbitrator competence, determination of applicable law, nuances of conducting proceedings and interaction within the arbitration panel, issuance of arbitral awards, and building a career as an arbitrator.
Even though the project was new, the number of applications, both for online and face-to-face formats, pleasantly surprised us. We received applications from all over Russia and the CIS countries, including applications from experienced arbitrators.
This year, we selected 45 participants, including 22 attending in person and 23 online. Over the course of several weekends, participants gathered, sat at the desks, shared experiences, and engaged in vigorous debates at the RIMA office.
Not only did participants come from different cities to attend the course, but so did the speakers, eager to personally share their accumulated knowledge and experience. The course speakers included leading specialists in the field of arbitration, namely Timur Aitkulov, Anton Asoskov, Alexey Anischenko, Anna Grishchenkova, Roman Zaitsev, Liliya Klochenko, Vasily Kuznetsov, Maxim Kulkov, Yulia Mullina, and Evgeny Raschevsky.
As part of the Academy for Arbitrators, participants had the opportunity to network with colleagues from various firms, legal departments of companies, and the academic community, forming a sort of community where they could discuss current arbitration news or share experiences.
The success of the first Academy for Arbitrators demonstrated the high popularity of the educational project, and the RIMA team will make every effort to ensure that the courses become annual events. Stay tuned for updates – see you at the Academy for Arbitrators 2024!