Queen Mary London and Paris LLM Students Participate in the first ICC Dispute Resolution Universities Programme
Silvia Lamprinopoulou, Comparative and International Dispute Resolution (CIDR) LLM London (class 2025), Claire Berns, CIDR LLM London (class 2025), and Francois Wouter Landman, Intellectual Property Paris LLM (class 2025), report on Queen Mary University of London's participation in the first ICC Dispute Resolution training Programme for Universities.
In line with its commitment to promoting access to justice, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched its ICC Dispute Resolution Universities Programme. It ran 21 to 23 May 2025 at the ICC Global Headquarters in Paris.
The programme brought together over 600 participants, both in person and online, representing around 50 universities from more than 30 countries. Queen Mary University of London (Queen Mary) had the strongest presence at the event, with students from both its London and Paris LLM actively engaging throughout the programme.
The programme was specifically designed for university students. It was held over three half-day sessions, with separate morning and afternoon groups to accommodate more participants. Queen Mary students attended each of the morning sessions and completed six modules. They explored key stages of the arbitration process, from the constitution of the arbitral tribunal to the issuance of arbitral awards. They also gained insights into the internal processes of the ICC International Court of Arbitration through interactive case studies and practical mock scenarios
Day one of the programme started with a warm welcome from Ruslan Mirzayev, Head of Education and Training at the ICC Dispute Resolution Services. Loïc Le Dû Högberg, Deputy Counsel at the ICC, introduced students to the structure of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, its Secretariat, and Rules of Arbitration. In Module one, Mihaela Tarnovschi, Deputy Counsel at the ICC, gave an insightful presentation on the constitution of the arbitral tribunal under the ICC rules. Nicole Knebel, Deputy Counsel at the ICC, led the second module covering the ICC’s emergency arbitrator appointment process.
Day two of the programme covered modules three and four, presented by Sophie Varenne and Stella Leptourgou respectively, both Counsel at the ICC. Module three focused on complex arbitrations and related issues including prima facie jurisdiction, multiple parties, multiple contracts, joinder and consolidation of arbitral proceedings. Next, the students were lectured on arbitral awards. Of particular importance was the ICC’s unique scrutiny process in finalising arbitral awards; an iterative process between the ICC and arbitrators. This scrutiny helps ensure enforceability of the ICC’s arbitral awards.
On day three, students completed the final two modules. The fifth module, led by Diego Alexandre-Garcia, Deputy Counsel at the ICC, focused on expedited arbitration procedures under the ICC rules. The session addressed the advantages of the Expedited Procedure Provisions and examined potential grounds for objection or non-application. In the final module, students were introduced to the ICC’s amicable dispute resolution mechanisms and ADR services. Chahinez Ouali, ADR Deputy Counsel, presented key processes including mediation, expert appointments, Docdex, and dispute boards.
Queen Mary’s strong presence at the ICC Dispute Resolution Universities Programme reflects the ongoing efforts of the School of International Arbitration (SIA) to provide students enrolled in its CIDR LLM programme with meaningful engagement in the international arbitration community. We look forward to future cohorts of Queen Mary LLM students—both in London and Paris—participating in similar initiatives.
This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of Dr Maria Fanou of the SIA, Queen Mary.