Students compete in Warsaw Negotiation Round 2017

Students from the University of Southampton’s Law School travelled to Poland this month to compete in the 8th annual Warsaw Negotiation Round.

The University of Southampton sent two teams to represent the Law School, joining 12 teams from international law and business schools around the world.

The unique European event has attracted applications from law and business schools from around the world, including India, China, America and Europe, to take part in a weekend of intense negotiation and networking. Developing negotiation skills in realistic business and social scenarios, the competition tested each individual and team’s ability to work under pressure and find common ground in light of differing cultural style.

The Law School students in attendance were:

 Team (Blue)                                                                          Team (Red)

Jessica Whitton                                                                      Markos Phillips

Bianka Vojakovicova                                                              Amy Kedrosky

Daniel Jackman                                                                      Minh Nguyen

In the first round, each team was separated into three rooms and a scenario was given where an individual took on the role of journalist or corruptible politician.

The second round provided for individual participation against other teams. This negotiation placed a focus on empathy, disclosure, and confidentiality. The third round was an investor dealing with a city council and district council. It again involved three teams, however, the negotiation was done in individual intervals.

The fourth round saw each team compete against another team of three. The fourth scenario involved two ski resorts and one looking to expand. A cooperative style negotiation, with an emphasis on maximising the best deal.

The Final took place at the Polish Senate, with finalists acted as two opposing political parties that were required to agree on a given budget. The remaining teams were divided into Ministries (Renewable Energy, Nuclear Power, Coal etc.) and negotiated against another team that was within their ministry.

The Southampton teams finished a respectable 5th and 7th place. Our students gave a fantastic account of themselves in Warsaw and will no doubt have gained from the experience of competing against teams from around the world.

Daniel Jackman, attending said “In closing, the event was an incredible experience and one of a kind. The work of all the organisers leading up to the Warsaw Negotiation Round showed. Beyond that we were made to feel very welcome upon arrival. It is a highly recommended event for anyone looking to sharpen their negotiation skills and learn negotiation styles from around the world.

The Southampton teams finished a respectable 5th and 7th place. The schools that did well have had participants from their respected schools in the past. Thus, in the years to come it is hoped the Law Society will continue to grow the local negotiation competition and produce University of Southampton participants that can build upon the achievements of those involved.”

Find out more about the competition here