ICCA Inclusion Fund awards 19 recipients with access to the 2022 ICCA Congress

In the lead up to the ICCA Congress in Edinburgh, ICCA launched an Inclusion Fund in May this year, an initiative established to support engagement in ICCA activities, and forming part of ICCA’s work on diversity and inclusion. Through the Inclusion Fund, nineteen ICCA and Young ICCA members received financial assistance from ICCA to attend the 25th ICCA Congress in September.

The selected recipients represented 12 different countries (including Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Honduras, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK and USA), with an even mix of women and men, and had varied professional backgrounds, all sharing an interest in arbitration. ICCA thanks the Scottish Arbitration Centre for supporting the attendance of the Inclusion Fund recipients and welcoming them to the Congress.

Some of the Inclusion Fund awardees meeting at the ICCA Membership Lounge during the Edinburgh Congress

A few of the Inclusion Fund awardees shared their highlights of the ICCA Congress with us. 

Pooja Damodaren

The ICCA Congress 2022, Edinburgh was a magnificent rendezvous of arbitration professionals and provided a platform for new learning and understanding in the field of arbitration. In short, I'd like to thank the ICCA inclusion fund scholarship for letting young professionals like me be a flag bearer at an “Arbitration de Cannes” event.

Nicolas Krotten

Attending the 2022 ICCA Congress was a great experience for me. It was incredible to see that many brilliant practitioners discussing the hot topics of international arbitration in one place.

Fabián Villeda

The ICCA Congress at Edinburgh was a fantastic experience, which provided me with a unique opportunity to benefit from the high-level panels and thought provoking debates and discussions on salient issues of international arbitration, some of them with a direct impact on my daily practice advising State & State Agencies and foreign investors. In addition, I was able to gain new acquaintances, improving my network with colleagues from different corners of the world. 

I am grateful to ICCA for this opportunity.

Camile Ramos-Klee

What I enjoyed most about ICCA Edinburgh was the ability to connect with so many different international arbitration practitioners. By virtue of working in a global field, there are few opportunities to meet in person so many of those with whom we work or collaborate who live outside of our hometowns. I appreciated the opportunity to meet contacts with whom I had connected virtually and to share experiences with practitioners from all over the world.

Yash Shiralkar

The Congress was larger than life - it was such a pleasure to see so many familiar faces after so long and make new friends along the way. And Edinburgh was the perfect city for this. The organisers made certain that all delegates had an amazing time, and I now can't wait for the next Congress in Hong Kong! 

Ceyda Sıla Çetinkaya

I am more than grateful to ICCA for being selected as a scholar of the Inclusion Fund which enabled me to meet the legends of arbitration in person, participate in cutting-edge discussions, listen to thought leaders and meet friends and colleagues.

Noelle de Vera 

The ICCA Congress was a demonstration of arbitration practice beyond my home country's borders. It was thrilling to sit in sessions that spun the arbitration practice around different philosophies, industries, and practice areas - truly a reminder that arbitration is not confined to mere dispute resolution and has the capacity to make an impact on various levels of society.

Jorge Velázquez

For me, the ICCA Congress was amazing for two main reasons: the level of discussion in the various panels, and the vast networking opportunities. There's absolutely no way I will miss the next editions in HK and Madrid.

Xhuljana Mucaj

Edinburgh ICCA 2022 allowed me to network and exchange ideas with the world’s leading arbitrators and practitioners on recent issues in international commercial and investment-state arbitration.  Emerging topics in the arbitration arena, like the proliferation of young entrepreneurs, digital technologies, climate change, corruption in arbitration, transparency and confidentiality, led to an interesting debate among us young practitioners who shared perspectives of our jurisdiction and cases from the practice. Above all, it was an enlightening experience!

Vishal Aggarwal

ICCA Congress 2022 was the epitome of pluralism in international arbitration, with practitioners cutting across age, geography and background while retaining their distinctive understanding of this field, and shared passion for this subject. The ICCA Congress gave me not only theoretical but also practical knowledge of international arbitration. The ICCA Congress was an enthralling experience for me, which I will cherish for a long time.