International legal skills competition hosted by School of Law and Politics

An annual negotiation event which sees students from Japan, Brazil, South Korea and Qatar compete in Cardiff is being held at the School of Law and Politics this month.

The International Negotiation Competition Final 2018 sees law students compete in pairs to negotiate deals with teams from other countries. Cardiff students Sophie Rudd and Charles Wilson, who were winners of the England and Wales Competition earlier this year, now get to compete on the international stage against teams from 26 different countries.

The international competition is a highlight of the Law student calendar and it is an honour for the School to be hosting it this year. Last year the competition was hosted by the University of Oslo and next year it will take place at the University of Tokyo.

The international event starts this year with a masterclass on Tuesday 26 June, partly facilitated by sponsor, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.

Keynote sessions include:

• Negotiating conflict, diversity and change: Lessons from South Africa with Felicity Steadman, expert in dispute resolution
• Hostage Negotiations: Lessons from a parallel world with Philip Williams, former Head of the Scotland Yard hostage and crisis negotiation unit
• Brexit Negotiations and Wales, with Professor Mark Drakeford AM, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Welsh Government.

There will also be a series of seminars to hone practical skills, including:

“To Ask or Not to Ask- and HOW to Ask - That’s the Question”; and “Number me up, baby”: Why understanding maths is critical to negotiate.

The competition takes place over three rounds which start on Wednesday 27 June. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit various tourist attractions during the event including Caerphilly Castle and Big Pit. Results will be announced at an awards dinner on the Saturday evening.

Professor Julie Price of the School of Law and Politics said, “We are very grateful to our primary sponsors, CEDR, for their major part in putting together this marvellous international event, and to law firm Latham & Watkins, the Law Society and the Welsh Rugby Union Group for supporting it too. We look forward to our guests experiencing the famous friendly Welsh welcome.”

Matthew Parry, a PhD student and Solicitor/Higher Rights Advocate, who has organised the event said, “Thank you to colleagues and experts who have kindly agreed to be on judging panels in what will no doubt be a competitive few days”.

The full list of countries competing is:

Australia; Brazil; Canada, Denmark; England and Wales; Estonia; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Japan; South Korea; New Zealand; Norway; Northern Ireland; Poland; Qatar; Russia; Scotland; Singapore; Slovakia; Switzerland; United States.

The School of Law and Politics would like to wish all competitors the best of luck in the competition and hope they enjoy their time here in Cardiff. To follow activity throughout the competition please visit this year’s dedicated website and follow the hashtag #futurenegotiators on social media.