University News Last updated 18 April 2023
On April 5, 2023, Birmingham City University School of Law students, led by Dr Alan Ma, a Lecturer in Law at BCU, participated in a mediation workshop organised by the West Midlands branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), held at No 5 Barristers’ Chamber in Central Birmingham.
The workshop, run by experienced mediation practitioners, discussed the effectiveness of mediation using simulation exercises; enabling students to network and practise their mediation skills.
The future of mediation
Mediation is a cost-effective, ever-evolving and time-efficient method of resolving disputes. In March 2023, the UK government announced that it will sign and ratify the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (The Singapore Convention). This international treaty establishes a global framework for direct enforcement of mediated settlement of cross-border commercial disputes, and will come into force in the UK in 2024.
Dr Ma said:
The International Business Law Research Group at BCU provides a broad platform for research and knowledge exchange in domestic and international aspects of business law such as arbitration. As part of the group, Dr Ma conducts research into Alternative Dispute Resolution methods, which he uses to shape teaching that responds to industry demands. See more details of the mediation workshop.