Inside the first year of the Advanced Research Seminar in International Dispute Resolution

15 October 2026

In the summer semester of 2026, a selected group of students on Queen Mary's Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LLM took part in the inaugural SOLM355: Advanced Research Seminar in International Dispute Resolution, led by Dr Maria Fanou. The course went beyond the scope of a standard module or dissertation, offering students the opportunity to conduct research alongside their peers and faculty members.

Combining individual research with peer supported learning

The course was delivered in a block format at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies’ (CCLS) Lincoln's Inn Fields campus over six weeks in June and July. It combined personalised learning and one-to-one mentoring with small groups organised by topic, and guest lectures.

After an initial individual supervision meeting with Dr Fanou, students committed to a legal research topic within days of the short introductory orientation session. The cohort then split into groups based on their research topics and met regularly to track progress, discuss their projects, and receive feedback both from the module convenor and their research peers.

The course concluded with each student delivering an oral presentation of their paper, after which the cohort provided feedback to help refine the final draft. A clear opportunity for peer learning and fostering a supportive learning community.

Interacting with leading experts in dispute resolution

Three guest sessions shaped the middle weeks. Nicholas Peacock (Peacock Arbitration) spoke about oral advocacy, approaching presentation skills as something that can be practised rather than a natural gift. David Pope (Queen Mary Fellow, Commercial Barrister) ran a workshop on academic writing, emphasising the importance of clear written communication when presenting arguments and ideas. Finally, in another manifestation of how this module connected students with leading practitioners, Dr Andrés Alvarado (DLA Piper) offered practical advice on selecting, framing and researching a legal issue, as well on how to get it published.

Creating practice ready graduates

All this culminated in a full-day showcase in July celebrating the students’ research. Each participant delivered a presentation on their legal research question and was confronted with questions and comments from their peers. Six weeks is not a long time to go from choosing a topic to drawing conclusions, but the pace mirrored professional practice.

Beyond the substantive law, students left with skills that are extremely valuable in the legal practice: narrowing a research question under a deadline, writing with the discipline an argument needs to withstand scrutiny, and learning to accept criticism constructively, is a habit practitioners rely on constantly in chambers, teams and tribunals.

In this way, the module embodies the values of Queen Mary's and teaching excellence standards: asking students to be ambitious, but in a collegial way, making this hard process shared rather than solitary. It also reflects Queen Mary's commitment to research-led, student-centred teaching excellence, where students learn as active members of a research community alongside faculty and practitioners. This module, under the umbrella of the School of International Arbitration (SIA) enhances employability and aims to create practice-ready graduates.

Following the success of its inaugural year, SOLM355 will run again in the summer of 2027, offering a new cohort of LLM students the chance to experience research-led learning alongside faculty, peers and leading practitioners. As the first cohort, we hope that the module will continue to give students an ambitious and collegial research experience. An experience that reflects Queen Mary's commitment to teaching excellence educating our future alumni.

What students thought

“In my third semester, I had the opportunity to take the module 355. What I particularly enjoyed was the freedom to write about a topic that personally interests me. I especially appreciated the extensive support provided by the professor, who guided and supported us throughout the entire research and writing process. In addition to the opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic of our choice, the module was also enriched by numerous guest professors. They taught us, among other things, how to approach research effectively, how the publication process works, and how we can further improve our own writing style. One particular highlight of the seminar was the presentation of our individual research projects. I found it very interesting to gain insights into a wide range of different topics and to discover areas that were completely new to me. Through these diverse insights, I also discovered new interests within the field of dispute resolution.” - Shreyaa Waikar, Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LLM (class 2026).

“As a Corporate and Commercial Law LLM student, I chose SOLM355 because I was interested in exploring the intersection between corporate and commercial law and international commercial arbitration. Although I had initially considered pursuing a dissertation on this intersection, I decided to take the module instead, which proved to be a valuable opportunity to develop my academic research skills. The module strengthened my ability to identify, analyse and critically evaluate legal sources. Presenting our research also helped me improve my presentation and public speaking skills. I would recommend the module to students who want to develop their independent research abilities while gaining confidence in communicating complex legal ideas clearly.” - Melike Özyiğit, Corporate and Commercial Law LLM (class 2026)

More information

• Dr Maria Fanou is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in International Dispute Resolution, Academic Director of the Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LLM programme in London and the Co-Director of the Paris LLM programme.
• Learn more about the Queen Mary's School of International Arbitration.