Murray Dawson and Misha Teixido, second-year students in the MA COEX program at Heller, recently served as judges for The International Business Mediation Competition in Amsterdam. The annual event, held from October 2-5, 2025, invites professionals and students alike to partake in mediation simulations, presenting various viewpoints and opinions about how to find amicable resolutions to conflicts in various business contexts.
Dawson and Teixido, who were invited to participate as both professionals and judges, observed mediation simulations throughout the day, during which participating teams of two would negotiate respective positions in cases covering commercial business agreements in front of a mediator. Following the conclusion of each round, Dawson and Teixido provided competitors with feedback and insight into how they viewed the interactions between the deliberating teams, including strengths and areas for improvement. Each team also received individualized reports composed by each judge.
“It was an honor to be selected to judge this year’s competition and have the opportunity to mentor,” said Dawson, who is focusing his Heller studies on public policy. “The fact that we were invited as professionals when there were so many attendees with years of mediation experience was incredibly meaningful.”
In addition to the event, Dawson and Teixido attended lunch conferences, including a conflict-focused walking tour of Amsterdam, a canal dinner and a working lunch to discuss the future of mediation. Dawson and Teixido first became involved with IBMC after being encouraged to apply to attend the event by a mediator at a conference earlier in the year.
“IBMC was incredible,” said Teixido, who is studying conflict resolution at Heller and aspires to be an ombuds. “This was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with like-minded individuals who value including empathy in the resolution process. One of the event organizers, Pieter Van Slobbe, explained that mediators aren’t worried about who is right or wrong in a conflict, but are more focused on identifying the positions and interests of involved parties, so as to better communicate with them and to help them communicate with one another. It was reassuring to hear that a party-centered approach exists beyond theoretical discussions, and also in the reality of mediation. Insight from Pieter and other experts further enhanced our understanding of what productive communication in the midst of conflict looks like. ”