ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition

The International Commercial Mediation Competition is organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and focuses on the resolution of commercial disputes through negotiation and mediation. Each year, this event gathers more than 500 participants in Paris, including professionals, academics and over 60 teams of university students from around the world. Through mock mediation sessions, participants have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, exchange, and breceive evaluations from renowned specialists. The upcoming 22nd ICC Mediation Competition will take place from Feb. 1st to Feb. 6th 2027.

We’re looking for 4 motivated students to represent the University of Fribourg at the 22nd ICC Mediation Competition!

Application period: 1.6.2026 – 31.7.2026

Please send your Motivation Letter, your CV and transcripts of university grades to Bigna Schall.

  • What is the competition all about?

    The International Commercial Mediation Competition is a moot competition in mediation organized by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. This highly anticipated event allows selected participants to interact with renowned mediators and develop practical mediation skills.

    Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). During mediation sessions, disputing parties are supported by a mediator to clarify and communicate their respective interests in order to reach an agreement or develop a solution. In a commercial context, avoiding litigation can be useful even when the legal case is strong, for example, when other considerations need to be taken into account, such as the need to avoid bad press, to keep the costs of dispute resolution low or to preserve business and personal relationships.

    During mock mediation sessions, the participants will act either as the representative of a company or as their legal counsel and negotiate with the other team to reach a potential agreement settling a fictive commercial dispute case.

    Combining competition, learning and networking, this event offers participants an excellent opportunity to take part in moot mediations, explore cultural differences and enjoy a wide range of social activities.

  • Preparation

    Coached by MLaw Nicolas A. Aymon, FSM-Accredited Mediator, the Fribourg team (up to 4 members) will prepare for the competition during the fall semester 2026 with the support of the Swiss Chamber of Commercial Mediation.

    Training sessions will take place twice a month. During the preparation process, participants will become familiar with mediation, as well as with the role and posture of the mediator. Through lectures, exercises, role plays, discussions and brainstorming sessions, the participants will develop and train useful skills, not only for the competition but also for their legal careers.

    The team members are required to attend Prof. Beyeler’s seminar “Négociation et médiation: mise en pratique!” (2 ECTS Special credits). 4 spots are already secured for them as the seminar is usually fully booked.

     

  • Why participate?
      • Among other advantages, participants gain hands-on experience in ADR, train their negotiation skills, discover the world of international commerce, meet and network with people from around the globe, and receive feedback from renowned specialists.
      • Participate in the Prof. Beyeler’s seminar “Négociation et mediation: mise en pratique!”.
      • Experience Paris in a new light! Travel and accommodation expenses are covered.
  • Recognition (ECTS)
      • Participation in the ICC Mediation Competition and the preparation is awarded with 6 ECTS credits (special credits).
      • If a participant in Bachelor additionally chooses to write a paper, 3 ECTS (special credits) and 3 ECTS (proseminar paper) are awarded. In this case, the student is asked to analyze and reflect on one of the cases negotiated during the ICC Mediation Competition, in a format comparable to an internship report.
      • If a participant in Master additionally chooses to write a paper, 4 ECTS (special credits) and 5 ECTS (seminar paper) are awarded. In this case, the student receives a topic related to the ICC Mediation Competition, or mediation in general, and is required to write a seminar paper of 20,000–35,000 characters.
  • Application requirements
      • The participant must be registered as a student at the Faculty of Law at the University of Fribourg.
      • Pursuant to the Rules of the competition, the ICC Mediation Week is open only to students who do not yet have full-time work experience (except internships) in law, business or otherwise.
      • The participant must be sufficiently familiar with English as the preparation sessions and the competition will be held in English.

     Application period: 1.6.2026 – 31.7.2026

    Please send your Motivation Letter, your CV and transcripts of university grades to Bigna Schall.

     

  • Coach / Contact

    Coach:

    Nicolas A. Aymon
    FSM-Accredited Mediator (FEDERATION SUISSE MEDIATION)
    Trained in Mediation at the Konstanzer Schule für Mediation (Germany)
    MLaw (University of Fribourg)
    Assistant at the Chair for Economic Law (University of Fribourg)
    PhD Candidate in Commercial Law.

    Contact:

    Bigna Schall, MLaw

    bigna.schall@unifr.ch

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