Call for Papers: Unveiling Arbitration’s (New) Identity in a Changing World

We are pleased to announce an online symposium on Unveiling Arbitration’s (New) Identity in a Changing World, scheduled for May 9, 2025. This symposium aims to explore the evolving identity of arbitration in the face of rapid technological and societal shifts.

Conference Theme
In a world marked by digitalization, artificial intelligence, and growing public scrutiny, arbitration law faces both opportunities and challenges. While it remains essential to uphold arbitration’s core principles—such as party autonomy, consent, privity, due process, and the independence and impartiality of arbitrators—it is equally crucial to assess whether these principles require reevaluation in light of modern developments. The symposium will critically examine these fundamentals, considering whether contemporary issues, such as increased supply chain complexity, the rise of AI, and calls for greater transparency, demand a reconceptualization of arbitration’s foundations.

Call for Papers
We invite submissions that address how technological and societal changes are impacting the key tenets of arbitration. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • The nature of arbitration and emerging forms of online private adjudication (ODR, BDR, smart contracts, DAOs)
  • Consent to arbitration in anonymous or pseudonymous online environments
  • Involvement of non-signatories in arbitration agreements
  • The role of AI in the arbitrator’s mandate
  • Balancing confidentiality with demands for transparency
  • Addressing inequalities in resources and expertise between parties
  • Efficiency and due process in arbitration
  • Technology-driven enforcement vs. traditional mechanisms like the 1958 New York Convention

We particularly encourage submissions from early career researchers, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Participation is free of charge.

Submission Guidelines
Please submit an abstract (200-500 words) and a brief bio (100-200 words) though this link: https://forms.gle/7Fn2YDqPvEZYeExT9 by November 1, 2024. Notifications of acceptance will be sent in December 2024. Full draft papers will be due by May 14, 2025, and will be made available to all participants. Select contributors may be invited to develop their papers into chapters for an edited volume.

Organizers:

  • Prof. Giorgio Colombo, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
  • Prof. Joshua Karton, Queen’s University
  • Prof. Pietro Ortolani, Radboud University
  • Prof. Maud Piers, Ghent University