We recently organized a practical workshop on mediation skills within the framework of the Legal Clinic of our Faculty of Law, reinforcing our commitment to practice-oriented legal education that prepares students for real professional settings. The session was led by Mr. Ilija Manasiev, a licensed mediator, arbitrator, and trainer of mediators, and it provided our students with an engaging introduction to mediation as an essential contemporary tool for resolving disputes efficiently and constructively. By bringing specialized expertise directly into our academic environment, we created a learning experience that connected classroom knowledge with the realities of legal practice and highlighted why mediation is increasingly relevant in today’s legal and business landscape.
Throughout the workshop, we introduced our law students to the importance of mediation, its key benefits, and the challenges that can arise when applying it in real cases.

We focused on strengthening the professional competencies that modern legal professionals must possess, including communication, structured negotiation, and principled problem-solving, while emphasizing the responsibility and ethics required in alternative dispute resolution. Through interactive exercises, our students actively participated, tested practical approaches, and developed stronger confidence in handling complex conversations, listening effectively, and guiding parties toward balanced outcomes, all of which are core capacities for future practitioners who will work with diverse individuals, institutions, and communities.

At the conclusion of the session, our Dean of the Faculty of Law, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nikola Dacev, presented Mr. Manasiev with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of his valuable contribution to the Legal Clinic and to our students’ professional development. This meaningful closing reflected our culture of collaboration and gratitude, as we continue building strong connections between academic learning and professional expertise that enrich the student experience. Moving forward, we remain committed to expanding opportunities within our Legal Clinic that support experiential learning, enhance employability, and strengthen our role as a faculty that develops capable, ethical, and forward-looking legal professionals ready to contribute to society through effective, peaceful dispute resolution.