Centre for Arbitration and International Dispute Resolution

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced on 25 August 2026 that they will establish a new Centre for Arbitration and International Dispute Resolution at the NUS Faculty of Law. The Centre is intended to reinforce Singapore's role as a regional and global centre for international dispute resolution through independent research, thought leadership, international engagement and post-tertiary education (MinLaw and NUS, 25 August 2026).

Research and policy scope

The Centre will undertake research and engagement with practice on trusted, credible and sustainable dispute-resolution frameworks. The announcement names transparency and accountability, ethics and professional governance, investor-State dispute settlement, and Singapore's and ASEAN's contributions to international arbitration law and practice as issues it will address. This is a research and policy platform; the announcement does not itself change Singapore's arbitration legislation, court jurisdiction or arbitral rules (MinLaw and NUS, 25 August 2026).

Advanced studies and institutional role

The Centre will develop a research-led, interdisciplinary programme of advanced studies in international arbitration. MinLaw and NUS describe a combination of advanced legal studies, research-led teaching, and exposure to business, technology, international arbitrators, counsel, institutions and academics. The Centre is intended to complement Singapore's existing dispute-resolution institutions and infrastructure by providing a dedicated platform for research, publications, policy development and international conventions, rather than replacing SIAC, SIMC, the Singapore International Commercial Court or other existing bodies (MinLaw and NUS, 25 August 2026).

Status and leadership

The Centre will be led by Professor Stavros Brekoulakis, an international arbitration academic and practitioner at the NUS Faculty of Law. As of the 25 August 2026 announcement, MinLaw and NUS had said that more information would be shared later: operating details pending means its timetable, programme admissions, staffing beyond the named leader, funding, and research outputs should be treated as unpublished rather than inferred from the establishment announcement (MinLaw and NUS, 25 August 2026).