2025 Winter Academy on International Arbitration: Results
From January 20 to February 1, 2025, the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration successfully held its fifth anniversary Winter Academy on International Arbitration, dedicated to a wide range of post-arbitration issues.
The program of the Winter Academy was traditionally intensive and included interactive lectures, special courses, and workshops from international experts in commercial and investment arbitration. Over the course of two weeks, participants actively explored various aspects related to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including challenge and enforcement of arbitration awards and interim measures, asset tracing, parallel proceedings, partial awards, arbitration costs, the use of artificial intelligence in mediation and arbitration, and further more.
In 2025, the Advisory Committee, which included Prof. Dr. Marco de Benito (Partner DE BENITO + LUPICINIO Law Firm), Dr. Daria Levina (Independent Scholar, Admissions Consultant), and Mikhail Bychikhin (Counsel, FCIArb Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP), reviewed a record number of applications: from over 200 candidates, the Committee selected 42 Academy participants. The selection was based on candidates' responses to theoretical questions and a practical task, as well as their motivation and professional experience. As a result, the anniversary Academy brought together participants from more than 20 countries, namely: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, France, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritius, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, UAE, USA and Uzbekistan.
The Winter Academy was conducted in English. As in previous years, access to the courses was provided through a specially developed online platform. Through this platform, participants could familiarise themselves with the courses, access materials and lectures, and maintain communication with each other, tutors, and organisers.
Courses
Thanks to the diverse geographical representation of both students and tutors, the Academy served as a unique platform for the exchange of ideas and approaches among professionals from various jurisdictions and cultural backgrounds. Within the framework of the 2025 Academy, particular attention was given to dispute resolution in Islamic finance (Dr. Umar Oseni), the transformation of arbitration in Africa (Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni), the intricacies of enforcing awards in the UAE (Ali Al-Hashimi), unique issues of Singapore as a seat of arbitration (Shaun Pereira), as well as questions regarding interim measures in Hong Kong (Thomas Lee) and other jurisdictions.
The main focus of the Winter Academy 2025 was on fundamental issues of the post-arbitration period. Over the course of two weeks, participants were able to explore various aspects related to the future of investment arbitration as an institution in general (Prof. Teresa Cheng) and the specifics of the appellate mechanism in investment disputes (Prof. N. Jansen Calamita). They also familiarised themselves with the peculiarities of issuing partial arbitral awards and their enforcement (Konstantin Christie), as well as learned the nuances of asset tracing in international disputes (Egor Chilikov), the distribution of arbitration fees, and other related litigation costs (Adrian Cole).
Furthermore, students were able to explore issues such as parallel proceedings (Prof. Dr. Bernardo M. Cremades), public policy (Niuscha Bassiri), the involvement of third parties in arbitration proceedings (Prof. Chin Leng Lim), the enforcement of settlement agreements (Tat Lim), and new challenges facing arbitrators and parties due to advancements in modern technologies (Dimitrios Ioannidis). Special attention was given to practical skills in cross-cultural negotiations (Prof. Andrea K. Schneider), qualities necessary for becoming an arbitrator (Prof. Neil Kaplan), and oral advocacy skills (Alec Emmerson and Koh Swee Yen). Additionally, during the Academy, relevant court decisions were discussed (Prof. Dr. Marco de Benito) along with the intricacies of cascading arbitration clauses (Mikhail Bychikhin).
Workshop on Hybrid ADR
At the conclusion of the Academy, students participated in a masterclass by Stepan Sultanov on Hybrid ADR. At the beginning of this course, Stepan Sultanov delivered a lecture on the characteristics of hybrid ADR methods. In the second part of the masterclass, a mock mediation-arbitration game was organized for students, where each participant could act as a mediator, arbitrator, or representative of a party based on a given scenario.
Support
We extend our deepest gratitude to the lecturers of the 2025 Academy for their willingness to share their invaluable expertise with participants: Adrian Cole, Alec Emmerson, Ali Al-Hashimi, Prof. Andrea K. Schneider, Prof. Dr. Bernardo M. Cremades, Prof. Chiann Bao, Prof. Chin Leng Lim, Dr. Daria Levina, Dimitrios Ioannidis, Egor Chilikov, Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni, Konstantin Christie, Prof. Dr. Marco de Benito, Maxim Osadchiy, Mikhail Bychikhin, Prof. N. Jansen Calamita, Prof. Neil Trevor Kaplan, Niuscha Bassiri, Nora Fredstie, Shaun Pereira, Stepan Sultanov, Koh Swee Yen, Tat Lim, Prof. Teresa Cheng, Thomas Lee, and Dr. Umar Oseni.
We also express our sincere appreciation to all participants of the 2025 Academy and to the Advisory Committee (Prof. Dr. Marco de Benito, Dr. Daria Levina, Mikhail Bychikhin).
This season set a record for the number of applications, with the Advisory Committee reviewing over 200 submissions. Such success would not have been possible without the support of our media partners: AIAC, arbitrateAD, BAC, BIRCH LEGAL, CIMA, CIS Arbitration Forum, HKIAC, ICLRC, ISTAC, MARC, NCIA, OIC-AC, Resolve Academy, RWA, SCC Arbitration Institute, TIAC, THAC, and YIMA.
Feedback
Franklin Koo, participant of the Winter Academy
Reflecting on the Winter Academy 2025, the various scope of topics were unlike anything else I experienced before. Professionally, the talks expanded my horizons in ways I had not anticipated, especially given my years of practice in the field. Despite the time differences, the warm smiles and waves made me anticipate every lecture.
As a participant, the caliber of speakers, hailing from various parts of the globe, was truly impressive. Each session provided diverse and insightful perspectives. On that note, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable work of the Organising Committee.
I am especially grateful for the opportunity to engage with esteemed professors, practitioners, and participants. The interactive session enabled us to exchange ideas on a wide array of topics. I am proud to have been a participant and can confidently say it was a rewarding experience!
I look forward to meeting everyone in-person when they come to Hong Kong!
Dr. Apoorvi Shrivastava, participant of the Winter Academy
Thank you for organizing a wonderful Winter Academy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would be happy to share the feedback.
The program was well-structured and a comprehensive understanding of international arbitration, blending theoretical insights with practical applications, was the highlight. Tutors were experts in their areas and made all the sessions thought-provoking. It was a great opportunity for me through which I gained insights into arbitration practices of different parts of the world. The session on AI in arbitration was particularly intriguing, shedding light on the evolving role of technology in dispute resolution. Additionally, the mock exercise allowed participants to apply ADR principles, connect and interact with each other.
I truly appreciate the efforts of the organizers and tutors. Engagement with professionals and fellow participants from diverse jurisdictions added immense value to the experience. Thank you once again for this outstanding program. I look forward to staying connected and participating in future initiatives.
Alexis Merle, participant of the Winter Academy
I truly enjoyed being part of the Winter Academy 2025. The course was fantastic, and I really appreciated the chance to engage with such knowledgeable speakers and fellow participants. It was an excellent learning experience!
I’d be happy to share my feedback! The program was well-structured, and I found the discussions and practical elements incredibly useful. It was such a rewarding experience!
Thanks again for everything. I look forward to staying in touch and hopefully joining more of your programs in the future.
The Winter Academy takes place annually. To learn more about participation, please follow the Academy’s website, our social networks or drop an email to event@centerarbitr.ru.
Thank you and hope to see you soon at the Winter Academy 2026!