Call for Blogs: CCMDR Blog on Reimagining International Arbitration [Rolling Submissions]

The Centre for Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution (CCMDR) at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat works to promote excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution through research, training and practical engagement, focusing on mediation, arbitration, negotiation and conflict management through competitions, workshops, simulations and collaborations.

The CCMDR Blog is the Centre's online platform for informed, accessible and meaningful writing on conflict management and dispute resolution. It welcomes contributions that connect academic inquiry with practical experience. Selected pieces are published on the CCMDR website.

The current call, as announced on the official submission form and poster, invites blogs on “Reimagining International Arbitration”, exploring the evolving landscape of international commercial and investment arbitration. Submissions may critically examine how emerging developments are reshaping the practice, procedure and future of international arbitration, including:

• Investment disputes
• Enforcement of arbitral awards
• Emerging arbitral seats
• Institutionalisation
• Diversity and inclusion
• Technological advancements
• Changing global practices

The Centre's blog guidelines describe a wider standing scope, illustrative and not exhaustive:

• Mediation, arbitration, negotiation, conciliation and other forms of ADR
• Conflict prevention, management and resolution
• Online and technology-assisted dispute resolution
• Restorative and community-based approaches to dispute resolution
• Commercial, family, workplace, consumer and public dispute resolution
• Institutional and procedural developments
• Recent judicial, legislative and policy developments
• Comparative and international perspectives
• Access to justice and innovative dispute resolution practices
• Interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to conflict and dispute resolution

Accepted forms of contribution include opinion pieces grounded in reasoned analysis, case comments and case notes, and contemporary developments and institutional updates.

The guidelines welcome submissions from students, researchers, academicians, legal practitioners, mediators, arbitrators, policy professionals and other contributors with an interest or expertise in the field; the poster summarises this as students, academicians and legal practitioners. Co-authorship is permitted up to a maximum of two authors per submission.

• Word limit: 1,200 to 1,800 words. The guidelines exclude the title, author biography and hyperlinks (and footnotes where exceptionally necessary) from the count; the poster states the limit as excluding footnotes.
• Language: English only. Work must be original, previously unpublished and not simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
• Title preferably not exceeding 10 words, with three to five keywords and a biographical note of up to two lines per author.
• Referencing: hyperlinks are the primary method. Footnotes only where necessary, following OSCOLA (5th edition).
• Formatting: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), Times New Roman, 12 point, 1.5 line spacing, justified, 6 point spacing before and after paragraphs, with a clear and consistent heading structure.
• Similarity index should ordinarily not exceed 10%; AI-generated content should not exceed 15% of the manuscript.
• The guidelines require a signed undertaking of originality; the submission form carries a declaration of originality that must be accepted.

Submissions undergo editorial review for originality, relevance, research, analytical quality, clarity, structure, accuracy and writing style. Shortlisted pieces may go through up to two rounds of review or revision. Acceptances, rejections and revisions are notified by the Centre through its official email. Authors retain copyright and grant CCMDR a non-exclusive right to publish and archive the work on its official platforms; cross-posting a piece first published on the CCMDR Blog needs prior permission from the Editorial Board.

Neither the blog guidelines nor the submission form mention any submission or publication fee.

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no closing date. Submit the manuscript as a .doc or .docx file (maximum 10 MB) through the official Google Form, which asks for the author's and co-author's name, email, phone number, institutional affiliation and professional status or year of study. The form requires signing in with a Google account to upload the file. The guidelines state that submissions sent through any mode other than the notified official channel may not be considered.