Trade and Investment Negotiation Skills

Bachelor 2024/2025

Type: Compulsory course (Law)

Area of studies: Law

Delivered by: School of International Law

Where: Faculty of Law

When: 5 year, 1 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Старшинова Ольга Сергеевна

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course focuses on the development of practical negotiation skills and is designed to provide training in all stages of the negotiation process: drafting the consolidated text, business correspondence, preparation for negotiations, negotiations, drafting summaries of discussions, legal scrubbing. The course also aims to provide the practical tools needed to develop appropriate strategies and tactics in the conduct of trade negotiations. This course builds on the knowledge that students are expected to have previously acquired in international economic law and international trade law. The course also aims to develop knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of public international law with a focus on trade and investment.

Learning Objectives

The main purpose of the project seminar is to develop practical negotiation skills and improve the students’ abilities to develop appropriate strategies and tactics in the conduct of trade negotiations.

Expected Learning Outcomes

ability to carry out professional activities in the international environment;
ability to search, analyse and work with legally relevant information by using of juridical, comparative and other specific methods,
• skills to prepare legal documents and oral pleadings; • skills to conduct negotiations;
Ability to work with information (search, evaluate, use information, necessary for fulfilment of scientific and professional tasks, from various sources, including application of the systematic approach);
Students are expected to develop practical skills of drafting the consolidated text of an international agreement, preparation for negotiations, conducting necessary research.
Students will acquire knowledge of different negotiations techniques and tactics and will have an opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge in multiple simulation exercises.
Students will have an opportunity to participate in all staged of negotiations process drafting the consolidated text, business correspondence, preparation for negotiations, negotiations, drafting summaries of discussions, legal scrubbing.
skills to prepare legal documents
ability to draft the text of an international agreement
ability to use specific legal terms
practical abilities to undertake a research and analysis of texts of international agreements
ability to describe legal problems and situations related to the international dispute settlement
ability to use specific terms related to the international dispute settlement
practical abilities to undertake a research and analysis of judicial decisions and legal writings

Course Contents

Topic 1. Creating and Distributing Value in the course of negotiations
Topic 2. Empathy and Assertiveness
Topic 3. Challenges of Dispute Resolution
Topic 4. Challenges of Deal-Making
Topic 5. Negotiations Process
Topic 6. Multilateral Negotiations

Assessment Elements

Drafting the agreement
Moot multilateral negotiations
Moot bilateral negotiations
Class-room based work
Oral exam
In an oral form: students are expected to briefly respond to specific theoretical and practical questions on the spot, the questions will be provided to the students in advance.

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 1st module
0.3 * Class-room based work + 0.1 * Drafting the agreement + 0.2 * Moot bilateral negotiations + 0.1 * Moot multilateral negotiations + 0.3 * Oral exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Mautner-Markhof, F. (2019). Processes Of International Negotiations. New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2199070

Recommended Additional Bibliography

International Negotiations: Language in Crisis and Conflict Handling Negotiations, and vice versa : A conceptual study on international crisis/conflict negotiations considered in Wittgensteinian, Austinian and Derridean terms, with reflections on the cases of Oslo 1 Accords 1993 and Rambouillet Negotiations 1999. (2019). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.77FA0759

Authors

SMIRNOVA SVETLANA ANATOLEVNA

Course Syllabus