Former Faculty Members
Academic Coordinator, Ms. Alicja Zielińska-Eisen, LL.M.
Alicja is a Polish-qualified lawyer (adwokat) with over a decade of experience representing clients in both court and arbitration proceedings. Having developed her skills first at a Magic Circle firm and now as Counsel at Queritius, Alicja acts as arbitrator and counsel helping businesses manage and resolve disputes at every stage, from contract negotiation and mediation to contentious proceedings and cross-border enforcement. Alicja's expertise in international arbitration is underpinned by hands-on experience, including of investment arbitrations, having successfully represented both foreign investors and the state.
She combines her legal practice with an academic career as a lecturer for the advanced International Dispute Resolution (IDR) LL.M. at Humboldt University of Berlin. From 2018 until Spring 2024, she also served as the Academic Coordinator for the IDR LL.M.
Alicja is a member of the ICC Poland Arbitration Committee and ICC YAAF representatives (2021-2024), responsible for initiatives in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. She is a passionate supporter of initiatives for students, and young professionals, regularly speaking at seminars and conferences on communication and soft skills, arbitration, and other ADR-related topics. She acts as mentor in the Mentor-Mentee programme run by the global organization Moot Alumni Association (MAA).
Alicja graduated from the University of Silesia (Poland) and holds an LL.M. from Humboldt University of Berlin, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Negotiation, Mediation, and other ADR from the Centre for Dispute and Conflict Resolution at the University of Warsaw.
Academic Coordinator, Mr. Oguzhan Samanci
Oguzhan studied law at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and at King’s College London, graduating in March 2021. He currently divides his time between working as a Research Assistant to Professor Dr. Gerhard Wagner and as a Research Assistant in the dispute resolution practice of CMS’ Berlin office, focusing on international arbitration. Prior to his graduation, he gained practical experience at two international law firms and at the German Parliament.
Oguzhan has been part of the IDR LL.M. team since August 2018. He discovered his passion for arbitration while participating in the 26th/16th Willem C. Vis (East) Moot. His team reached the Round of 16 in Vienna and the quarter-finals in Hong Kong and Oguzhan was awarded an Honourable Mention for his performance as an oralist. He has been coaching the Humboldt University of Berlin Vis Moot team since July 2020. Furthermore, he is the Technical Editor of the Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration and a member of the core team of the Moot Alumni Association (MAA).
Researcher, Ms. Cut Aina Hannisa, LL.M. (Humboldt)
Aina Hannisa works as an Academic Coordinator for the International Dispute Resolution (IDR) LL.M. at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. She is using her time in Berlin to continue her journey in academia, before she returns to Ireland to start a traineeship at one of Ireland’s largest corporate firms, in Dublin.
Aina was educated in Ireland and studied law at University College Cork, which included a year studying abroad at Université de Montréal, Canada. On graduating she moved to Berlin where she completed an LL.M. in International Dispute Resolution at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 2019. During her time at UCC she was a part of the Quercus Talented Students’ Scholarship Programme which enabled her to continue playing piano, violin, harpsichord and organ in parallel with her law studies. In the course of her studies she also spent some time working in the arbitration group at Baker McKenzie in Frankfurt.
Aina has been part of the IDR LL.M. team since August 2019. She participated in the Vis (East) Moot in its 27th/17th season in 2020, and has been coaching the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin team since July 2020. In addition, Aina is a Regional Representative and member of the core team of the Moot Alumni Association (MAA).
Program Coordinator and Student Research Assistant, Ms. Elisa Henke
Elisa is a fourth year law student at Humboldt University in Berlin, writing her first state exam perspectively in April 2024.
Before her studies, she worked as a trainee in the European Parliament and for UNESCO in refugee aid in Greece. She won the Bensberg Citizens' Award 2018 for her early voluntary commitment.
Her international orientation brought her to Berlin, where she has been studying in the European Law School programme at Humboldt University Berlin since 2020. As part of this programme, she will acquire two Master's degrees at foreign universities after her state examination in Berlin (Mastér at the Univiseridad Autónoma de Madrid / LLM at the King's College London)
She holds a scholarship by the Foundation of German Economy (Stiftung der deutschen Wirtschaft). In 2022 she participated in the Soldan Moot Court, where the team was awarded best Respondent Memorandum.
Latest, she participated in the 30th Willem C. VIS Moot Court, where she was awarded First Runner Up for the Martin Domke Award as Best Individual Oralist.
Program Coordinator and Student Research Assistant, Mr. Naod Mekonnen
Naod is a third year law student at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics and Law from Universität Münster and has worked at an auditing firm where he assisted in white collar investigations. Furthermore, he worked in the legal department of a research centre where he was responsible for the oversight of non-disclosure agreements.