ICC Institute of World Business Law Prize 2027 (11th Edition): Doctoral Dissertations and Long Essays on International Commercial Law, EUR 10,000 Award

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is inviting applications for the 11th edition of the ICC Institute of World Business Law Prize, a global award recognising outstanding research in international commercial law, including arbitration. The ICC Institute of World Business Law established the Prize in 2007 to encourage focused research on legal issues affecting international business and to strengthen the links between the academic world and practising lawyers.

The Prize is launched every two years. Past laureates include Daria Levina (2025, 28 theses competed), Sabrina Pearson-Wenger (2023, 27 theses) and Brooke Marshall (2021, 17 theses).

Doctoral dissertations and long essays on international commercial law, including arbitration. The Rules state that the Institute Council may choose a more specific theme for a competition; the 2027 announcement does not name one.

• The competition is open to any person, except members and former members of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, members of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and its Secretariat, and employees or colleagues from jury members' companies/organisations.
• Doctoral dissertations: no age limit.
• Long essays: the candidate must be 40 years of age or under on the closing date, 5 April 2027.
• The work must be unpublished, completed less than two years before submission, and must remain unpublished until the Prize is awarded.
• A work can be submitted only once.

There is no nationality restriction in the Rules, so Indian doctoral researchers and essay writers may apply.

• Language: English or French, the two official ICC languages. An English or French abstract of a work written in another language will not be considered.
• Length: a minimum of 150 pages, excluding the table of contents, bibliography, acknowledgements and other annexes.
• Anonymity: remove the name of the candidate, the university and the supervisors, and any other element that could identify the author or institution.
• Separate letter: state the candidate's name (and university and supervisors, if applicable), nationality, date of birth, full address and consent to the Prize Rules.
• Copies: one bound paper copy and one PDF electronic version, sent to the Institute's contact address. Works are not returned.

The laureate receives an award of EUR 10,000 (ICC announcement; the Rules state the amount for this edition as 10,000) and international recognition from a global network of arbitration and dispute resolution professionals. The Jury may also divide the Prize or decide not to award it.

The Prize is presented at the 47th ICC Institute of World Business Law Annual Conference, taking place in November 2027 in Paris. ICC refunds the laureate's reasonable, receipted travel (standard economy airfare or second-class rail) and one night's accommodation.

Entries are reviewed by an international jury of ICC Institute Council members, chaired by Winnie Ma for 2027.

The official Rules and the ICC announcement do not mention any entry fee. Candidates bear the cost of printing, binding and posting the paper copy to Paris.

Send one bound paper copy and one PDF version of the anonymised work, together with the separate identification letter, to the Secretariat of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, 33-43 avenue du President Wilson, 75116 Paris, France (e-mail institute@iccwbo.org, as given in the Rules). Entries must be sent by 5 April 2027, attested by the date of the postmark.

The full Rules are available in English and French on the official Prize page. Questions about the Rules or the Prize go to iccprize@iccwbo.org.