2026 Winter Academy on International Arbitration: Results
From January 26 to February 6, 2026, the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration successfully hosted the sixth Winter Academy on International Arbitration, with a focus on the challenges of fragmentation in international arbitration.
The Academy's program, traditionally conducted online and in English, addressed pressing contemporary issues in international arbitration, including jurisdictional competition, disparate interpretations of international conventions, and the intricacies of enforcing arbitral awards.
The event featured distinguished experts from Bahrain, China, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, the USA, Turkey, and other nations, ensuring a multifaceted examination of topics from diverse regional and professional perspectives.
Following a review of 260 applications and evaluation of written assignments, the Organizing Committee selected 40 participants. These individuals represent 31 jurisdictions, including Germany, Turkey, Spain, Serbia, CIS countries, Brazil, Egypt, Vietnam, France, and Russia.
Courses
Over two weeks, Academy attendees participated in lectures by leading international arbitration experts, engaged in interactive workshops and dynamic discussions, and shared their professional experiences.
The program covered key themes reflecting current trends in arbitration practice. These included strategies for selecting arbitral seats ("Seat Selection at the Table: A Jurisdictional Chessboard" by Prof. Marike Paulsson), issues of arbitral seat delocalisation ("Overcoming Fragmentation Through Harmonisation" by Shaun Leong), recent legislative changes ("The English Arbitration Act 2025: A Shift in the Rules of the Game" by Paul Key KC), and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms ("Adjudication: Statutory or Contractual" by Henk Louw).
Procedural aspects and evidence were explored through practical sessions focusing on managing expert evidence (Andrey Ushakov) and asset tracing for award enforcement purposes (Nikolay Smetanin).
In a segment dedicated to national and regional specificities, participants examined the reform of arbitration legislation in the People's Republic of China (Henry Huang) and the impact of economic sanctions on arbitration involving Russian parties (Sergey Glandin).
Special attention was given to award enforcement and the drafting of arbitration agreements. Discussions included challenges in enforcing awards outside the New York Convention (Yuri Bashmakov) and the art of crafting bespoke arbitration clauses (Briana Young).
Ethical and sector-specific aspects of arbitration were addressed in discussions on global professional standards (Shantanu Majumdar KC, Dr. Kamal Adnan Malas) and the converging trends between investment and commercial arbitration (Alexander A. Yanos).
The program also included lectures on legal harmonisation and digitalisation: "Enhancing Online ADR at the National Level " (Colin Rule, Ronald Sum) and "The UNCITRAL Model Law " (Dyalá Jiménez, Sergey Alekhin, Prof. Dr. Ziya Akıncı).
Support
We extend our gratitude to our media partners for their invaluable informational support and coverage of the Academy: CIS Arbitration Forum, TIAC, NYIAC, AIAC, IACMC, HKIAC, MIAMC Hyderabad, SIAC, YIMA, CIETAC, Resolve Academy, BAC, ISTAC, SCC Arbitration Institute, MARC, RWA, EBRAM.
We extend our special gratitude to the 2026 Academy lecturers for their willingness to share invaluable experience with the participants: Alexander A. Yanos, Andrey Ushakov, Briana Young, Colin Rule, Dyalá Jiménez, Henk Louw, Henry Huang, Kamal Adnan Malas, Marike Paulsson, Nikolay Smetanin, Paul Key, Ronald Sum, Sergey Alekhin, Sergey Glandin, Shantanu Majumdar, Shaun Leong, Yulia Levashova, Yuri Bashmakov, Ziya Akıncı.
We also express our thanks to all participants of the 2026 Academy and the RIMA Organising Committee: Sofya Aseeva, Alexandra Chobotova, Valeria Ivanova, Arina Medvedeva, Andrey Savelyev, and Daria Skosar.
The Winter Academy is held annually. To learn more about participation, please visit the Academy website: https://modernarbitration.ru/ru/academy/winter/about or contact us at event@centerarbitr.ru.