Queen Mary, University of London

Welcome to the School of International Arbitration (SIA)

Welcome to the School of International Arbitration (SIA), part of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at Queen Mary, University of London.

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The School of International Arbitration was established in 1985 to promote advanced teaching and research in the law and practice affecting international arbitration.

Today the School is widely acknowledged as the leading teaching and research centre on international arbitration in the world. Almost all its courses are at the post-graduate level. They can lead to:

  • either the general LLM degree or the specialist LLM in International and Comparative Dispute Settlement,
  • a dedicated Queen Mary postgraduate diploma in international arbitration, OR
  • a distance learning (online) postgraduate diploma in international arbitration, OR
  • a distance learning (online) postgraduate diploma in international mediation (ADR)
  • and a doctorate from the University of London.

In its 23 year existence the School has had over 2,000 students from over 80 countries all over the world.

Presently, the courses taught by the School include:

  • Commercial Law: written and oral advocacy
  • International and Comparative Commercial Arbitration;
  • International Construction Contracts and Arbitration;
  • International Trade and Investment Dispute Settlement;
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution;
  • International Commercial Litigation; and
  • International Commercial Law.

In 2007 - 2008 the School has 19 students, from 12 different countries, undertaking research for doctorate degrees.

In addition to its regular full-time and part-time academic staff, the School of International Arbitration involves practitioners in its teaching programmes. This adds crucial practical experience to academic knowledge and analysis. It is believed that the School is already contributing in different ways to the science of arbitration and that with the passage of time it will make an even greater contribution and impact.

Research projects undertaken focuses on wide area of topical issues in international arbitration, including online arbitration, the delocalisation of arbitration, the use of transnational rules and lex mercatoria for the settlement of disputes, regional systems of international arbitration, and the increasing harmonisation and internationalisation of international arbitration procedure. The School also conducts unique empirical studies with the financial support of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The first was completed in 2006 (URL) and the second completed in 2008 (URL).

The School has close links with major arbitration institutions and international organisations working in the area of arbitration. It also offers consulting services and advice to governments and non-governmental agencies which wish to develop a non-judicial settlement of dispute mechanism as well as training for lawyers in private practice, in-house lawyers, judges, arbitrators and mediators.

We offer the following postgraduate programmes:

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