The Negotiation Challenge

The finals of the International Negotiation Challenge for Students took place in Cape Town this past weekend.

Past Presidents Siham and Derek hosted this event using their formidable negotiation and organisational skills. The event was held at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. It was the first time in the 20-year history of the competition that the event was held in Africa. Sixteen teams out of the original 60 entries from all over the world progressed to the finals, and miraculously everybody except one unfortunate student whose visa was not granted, managed to get to Cape Town in person. More than 30 negotiation professors and judges, from China, to India, to Israel and many other countries volunteered their services and paid their own way.

Salesians produced the conference bags, and their marimba band was in attendance at the gala dinner hosted at the Cape Town Hotel School on a perfect evening.

The winning team was the University of Reykjavíc in Iceland. The Washington College of Law and the University of Leipzig took home silver and bronze respectively.

Cape Town produced outstanding weather for the duration of the event, and all agreed that it was the best final ever. Several people expressed their reluctance to go home!

The finals next year take place in Paris. They have a hard act to follow!

Thank you Derek and Siham for flying the flag high for RC Waterfront!