The Singapore International Mediation Institute’s (SIMI) Contemporary Issues In Mediation Research Essay Competition is an annual event aimed at developing and fostering an interest in mediation, a form of collaborative dispute resolution, amongst tertiary students.

For the past 9 years, “Contemporary Issues in Mediation” has been edited by academics and practitioners in the mediation field. Entries which contribute to the body of thinking on mediation (including but not limited to mediation standards) and help bring mediation practice to higher levels will stand a chance to have their essays published in CIIM Volume 10.

 

The competition is sponsored by SIMI and offers the following:

• Top entry: Cash prize* valued at SGD300, and the winning essay will be published in the book series "Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 10.
• Runner-up: Cash prize* valued at SGD200, and the winning essay will be published in the book series "Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 10.
• All other short-listed entries: Essays will be published in the book series “Contemporary Issues in Mediation", Volume 10 and author(s) of the essay named as contributors accordingly. 

* SIMI reserves the right to replace the cash prizes with vouchers/e-vouchers of equivalent value.

Key Information

Competition closes on 14 July 2024 (extended).

Who can apply?

The competition is open to participants from across the world.

All registered tertiary students across all disciplines of studies studying at universities, colleges or other educational institutions (including those pursuing postgraduate studies in masters or a doctorate degree) may apply.

How do I submit an entry?

1. Read the CIIM Competition Terms and Conditions 2024 provided here. The deadline has been extended to 14 July 2024
2. Write an essay of between 2,700 - 3,300 words. 
3. Complete the CIIM Application Form here. The deadline has been extended to 14 July 2024.
4. Email your application form and essay to ciim@simi.org.sg no later than 2359 (GMT+8) hours on 14 July 2024.

Do I need to pay registration fees?

Participation in the competition is FREE.

What should I write about?

Any topic or issue related to mediation.

Participants are encouraged to be creative in their topics (e.g. write about the confluence of mediation and other disciplines, and its impact on mediation practice) and are free to decide how they wish to approach their chosen topic.

Topics of previous winning entries can be viewed via their respective pages: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5, Volume 6, Volume 7, Volume 8.

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What do past participants have to say about the competition?

“When I embarked on a Master degree in international relations, I was inspired to extend my mediation knowledge beyond the borders of the law, by contributing to academic literature on how mediation can be harnessed to harmonize perspectives on the international sphere. The CIIM essay competition was the perfect platform for me, as a student then, to work toward realizing this.  I would therefore encourage anyone who is merely contemplating participating to just do so! No idea is too small to contribute, and one might not realize the value of a simple idea or inspiration to the wider knowledge and literature on mediation!"

"The CIIM Research Essay Competition provided me with the platform to explore topical issues in mediation, and incentivised me to read widely to meet the brief provided in the publicity material for the competition (Participants are encouraged to be creative in their topics). One of the challenges that I faced as a law student was not knowing how what I learnt in school would translate into practice. Having to come up with an interesting and meaningful topic to write about forced me to research on and think about the potential problems that mediation practitioners face in their work, and led me to unique solutions adopted in other jurisdictions to address those problems. I would definitely recommend students interested in the field of collaborative dispute resolution to join the competition, and I hope you gain useful insights in the process of doing so as well! (p.s. It doesn't hurt that there's a word limit of 3000 words per entry!)"

Mr Samuel Teo
Top Prize Winner - CIIM Research Essay Competition 2021
Singapore

"I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the CIIM Research Essay Competition. It was refreshing to learn about the interplay between mediation and various interdisciplinary topics. The insightful experience helped me to appreciate the different dimensions of mediation and its connections to the wider world around us. I’m humbled to have contributed to this growing space, even in a small way. If you’re keen to write a piece too, I’d encourage you to give it a try and hope you’ll enjoy the process!" "The SIMI Annual Mediation Essay Competition is an excellent opportunity for students to research and learn about mediation beyond what is taught in the classroom. The idea for my paper (on making mediation compulsory for community disputes) was conceived when I came across a news article on the same – the notion of ‘mandating’ mediation did not sit well with its traditionally ‘voluntary’ nature, and this sparked an interest in me to read more about it. I’ve since gained a new perspective on the mediation scene in Singapore, and highly encourage anyone interested in mediation to try their hand at writing a short paper about it. Who knows, you might even get your entry published in a book!”

 

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