Singapore, 31 August 2026 — Royal Institute Campus, Sri Lanka, has emerged as the winner of the inaugural Maxwell Challenge, an international student mediation and negotiation competition organised by Maxwell Chambers and held in Singapore from 27 to 30 August 2026 during Singapore Convention Week.

After four Preliminary Rounds, Royal Institute Campus and the National University of Singapore (NUS) progressed to the Negotiator Final. The highest-performing Mediator Team, also from NUS, was selected to mediate the Final, where Royal Institute Campus was crowned the Maxwell Challenge Winner and NUS the Finalist.

A Competition Built Around the Mediation Process

Designed to assess not only outcomes but how participants used the mediation process, the Maxwell Challenge tested preparation, communication, advocacy, teamwork, strategic decision-making and problem-solving. Mediator Teams were separately assessed on their ability to facilitate discussions and manage the mediation process effectively.

The competition began in July with an Online Pre-Mediation and written statements, followed by four in-person Preliminary Round blocks at Maxwell Chambers on 28 and 29 August. Negotiator Teams acted as both Requesting Party and Responding Party, while Mediator Teams were assessed on their ability to work with the parties and manage the dynamics of the mediation. Each session was assessed by experienced practitioners. Students first reflected on their own performance before receiving direct feedback from assessors, placing learning and professional development at the centre of the Challenge.

The Final brought together the National University of Singapore as both the Mediator Team and Requesting Party, and Royal Institute Campus, as the Responding Party. Following the Final, Royal Institute Campus was named the Maxwell Challenge Winner, with the National University of Singapore as Finalist. The results were announced that evening at the Maxwell Challenge Awards Dinner at Amara Singapore.

Recognising Excellence Across the Mediation Process

Four Special Awards recognised excellence in key aspects of mediation and negotiation:

• Best Negotiation Advocacy: Taesha Tan Ninn, National University of Singapore

• Best Team Collaboration: Fudan University

• Best Mediation Strategy: National University of Singapore

• Best Mediation Management: National University of Singapore

Together, the awards reflected the broader philosophy of the Maxwell Challenge: excellence in mediation is measured not only by whether a settlement is reached, but by the quality of advocacy, collaboration, strategic thinking and management of the process. A full list of special mentions appears below.

A defining feature of the Maxwell Challenge was the involvement of experienced mediators, lawyers, academics and dispute resolution professionals from around the world. The assessor pool reflected a genuinely international community, with practitioners professionally based across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, Central Asia and Latin America – including Singapore, Australia and New Zealand; Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Romania, Cyprus and Greece; Zambia and Ethiopia; the Kyrgyz Republic; and Argentina and Ecuador. This breadth of regional experience brought a wide range of perspectives on mediation and negotiation practice.

Assessors not only scored participants, but also shared practical feedback after each round, connecting students directly with the professional mediation community and making learning an integral part of the competition.

Lim Tat, Chair of the Maxwell Challenge Organising Committee, said:

“The Maxwell Challenge reflects a larger ambition: to make Singapore not only a place where disputes are resolved, but a place where the next generation learns how to resolve them well. That is a very Singaporean thing to do. We do not just build an airport; we build an airport that wins awards. We do not just have hawker food; we debate which stall is the best with the seriousness of constitutional litigation. And now, we do not just host mediations; we train people to mediate, advocate and resolve disputes with skill, integrity and professionalism.”

Karen Tan, Competition Director of the Maxwell Challenge, said:

“We wanted the Maxwell Challenge to be more than a competition. We wanted to give students a realistic mediation experience while learning directly from experienced practitioners. Seeing the students embrace the Challenge, and our assessors so generously share their expertise, was incredibly rewarding. We look forward to building on this first edition in 2027.”

Held during Singapore Convention Week, the four-day programme also gave participants opportunities to engage with practitioners and fellow students from different countries beyond the competition rooms. The Awards Dinner was attended by Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, who addressed the gathering.

The evening also recognised the assessors, committee members, case writers, volunteers, partners and supporters whose contributions made the inaugural Challenge possible. The Maxwell Challenge will return in 2027 during Singapore Convention Week.

Full Results, Special Mentions and Participating Universities

Maxwell Challenge

• Winner: Royal Institute Campus, Sri Lanka
• Finalist: National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Best Negotiation Advocacy Winner: Taesha Tan Ninn, National University of Singapore
  Other notable participants nominated by assessors:
  Whitney Adhiambo • Sathya Narayanan Sandhanam • Yanxi Lui • Sharry • Lu Wang • Zije Wei • Joshua Povali • Yogeesh RS • Tharisa Nallaperuma • Ellery Tan • Yitong Shan • Utkarsh Gupta • Nadin Nirmala • Zhouan Chen
• Best Team Collaboration Winner: Fudan University
  Special Mentions – teams receiving five or more nominations across all rounds:
  National University of Singapore • Singapore Management University • Shanghai University of Political Science and Law • Royal Institute Campus • Gujarat National Law University
• Best Mediation Strategy Winner: National University of Singapore
  Special Mentions – teams receiving five or more nominations across all rounds:
  Fudan University • Singapore Management University • Shanghai University of Political Science and Law
• Best Mediation Management Winner: National University of Singapore
  Special Mentions – teams receiving five or more nominations across all rounds:
  Singapore Management University • Gujarat National Law University

Participating Universities

• Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, India

• Fudan University, China

• Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, India

• National University of Singapore, Singapore

• Royal Institute Campus, Sri Lanka

• Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Soelthan M. Tsjafioeddin, Indonesia

• Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, China

• Singapore Management University, Singapore

• Stellenbosch University, South Africa

• Thammasat University, Thailand

• United States International University Africa, Kenya

About the Maxwell Challenge

The Maxwell Challenge is an international student mediation and negotiation competition organised by Maxwell Chambers in Singapore. It brings together university students and dispute resolution professionals from around the world to develop practical mediation, negotiation, advocacy, collaboration and problem-solving skills.

 Media Contact – Maxwell Chambers:

• Karen Tan, Competition Director – [email protected]