Congratulations to St Hugh’s Professorial Fellow in Commercial Law and Statutory Chair for Commercial Law in the Faculty of Law at Oxford University, Professor Horst Eidenmüller, on winning a 2026 Social Sciences Division Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to teaching and supervision.
Professor Eidenmüller has been recognised for the innovative quality of his teaching in negotiation and dispute resolution – particularly through his interdisciplinary course ‘Commercial Negotiation and Mediation’, introduced at Oxford in 2015. The award panel praised his sustained passion, dedication, care and support for students, as well as the way his teaching combines theoretical rigour with real-world practice.
At a time when negotiation and dispute resolution skills are becoming increasingly important in legal, commercial and international contexts, Professor Eidenmüller has developed a model of teaching that integrates legal analysis with insights from game theory, cognitive psychology, communication theory, and dispute resolution practice. The course is also notable for its engagement with contemporary developments relating to artificial intelligence and dispute resolution.
Professor Eidenmüller, who is Statutory Chair for Commercial Law in the Faculty and Professorial Fellow at St Hugh’s College, said, ‘I see this award above all as recognition of the importance of negotiation and mediation as key tools of dispute resolution. I am deeply grateful to the colleagues, faculty officers and teaching team who have supported the course over the years, and especially to our students, whose enthusiasm and engagement continue to shape and inspire it.’
