Mainz Masterclass in International Adjudication 2027: Evidence in International Adjudication with Prof. Campbell McLachlan KC (JGU Mainz, Germany, 9 April 2027; EUR 500 - EUR 1,000 Stipends)

The Mainz International Adjudication Center (MAIAC) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, invites applications for the First Mainz Masterclass in International Adjudication, to be held on 9 April 2027 in Mainz. MAIAC runs the Masterclass every year together with an Annual Lecture in International Adjudication: a distinguished scholar or practitioner works intensively with a small group of 10 to 15 advanced students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers on a key topic in international dispute settlement.

The Masterclass runs in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and lasts about six hours in total.

The inaugural Masterclass is devoted to evidence in international adjudication. Cases before international tribunals are at least as likely to be won or lost on the facts as on the law, yet the rules and principles on evidence before international tribunals are often vague and leave much to the parties and to the discretion of the tribunal, which brings together counsel and arbitrators from different legal traditions.

• Morning session: the production and presentation of factual evidence, documentary and witness.
• Afternoon session: the use and testing of the testimony of expert witnesses.

The discussion covers both the legal issues on the admissibility and treatment of evidence and the practical craft of presenting and testing evidence at a hearing, using examples from reported cases, particularly disputes between sovereign States and private parties.

The Masterclass is led by Professor Campbell McLachlan KC, Professor of International Dispute Resolution at the University of Cambridge (Professorship of Law, 1973 Chair), Fellow of Trinity Hall and of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. He is a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and of the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, Editor-in-Chief of The Cambridge Law Journal, Joint Editor-in-Chief of the ICSID Review, and a former partner at Herbert Smith, where he headed the International Law Practice Group. He has two decades of experience as an international arbitrator.

Participation is open to:

• advanced (Master-level) students;
• PhD students; and
• early postdoctoral researchers, up to two years after the PhD defence.

The call places no nationality or institutional restriction on applicants, so Indian LLM students, doctoral researchers and early postdocs working on international arbitration or international dispute settlement may apply.

Each application must contain two documents:

• An Expression of Interest of no more than 500 words, setting out your reasons for wishing to participate, your particular interest in the subject, one or more specific questions, themes, cases, developments or controversies from the Masterclass abstract that you would like to discuss and, where relevant, how the Masterclass relates to your current academic, professional or research work.
• A short CV of no more than 2 pages.

Participants are selected on their demonstrated interest in the subject, the quality of their Expressions of Interest and the potential contribution of their proposed questions and perspectives to the discussion. Applicants will be told the outcome by 15 November 2026. Selected participants then receive the exact times and locations of the Masterclass and the Annual Lecture, along with suggestions for accommodation and travel to and from Mainz.

One or two stipends of between EUR 500 and EUR 1,000 may be awarded to the applicant or two applicants whose Expressions of Interest are judged particularly strong. The stipends are meant to cover, or substantially contribute to, participation-related expenses such as travel and accommodation. They are decided on the basis of the Expression of Interest, with particular attention to the applicant's engagement with the subject and the relevance and originality of the questions or topics proposed. No separate stipend application is described in the call.

The official call states no participation fee.

Professor McLachlan will also deliver the Inaugural Annual International Adjudication Lecture on the evening of 8 April 2027 at the offices of CMS Hasche Sigle in Frankfurt. Masterclass participants are encouraged to attend the lecture and to plan their travel accordingly.

Email your Expression of Interest and CV to Jan-Henrik Hinselmann at jhinselm@uni-mainz.de by 31 October 2026. Queries go to the same address.