INSEAD Negotiation Cup - Negotiation and Conflict Management Collaborative

The INSEAD Negotiation Cup: Compete. Connect. Create Value

The INSEAD Negotiation Cup (IN.Cup) is the inaugural negotiation competition hosted by the Negotiation and Conflict Management Collaborative (NCMC). Our aim is to bring together negotiators across the INSEAD community, test their strategic abilities, and nurture new ambassadors for negotiation excellence.

Through team-based negotiation rounds, the IN.Cup provides a unique opportunity to:

• Compete and learn in a celebratory academic event.
• Be identified and coached as high-potential negotiators to represent INSEAD at international competitions.
• Enhance INSEAD’s reputation in negotiation and conflict management.
• Build stronger ties across the INSEAD community.
• Inspire future research, teaching, and case development.

The IN.Cup is modeled on best practices from The Negotiation Challenge (TNC), one of the world’s leading competitions, ensuring participants gain valuable preparation for global stages while showcasing innovation at INSEAD.

🏆 Finalist Teams Announced!

We’re thrilled to announce the finalist teams for the inaugural INSEAD Negotiation Cup (IN.Cup)!

From 30 teams across INSEAD’s global community, eight teams — four in each category — have earned their place in the Final Round, to be held 24–25 November 2025 at the INSEAD Middle East Campus in Abu Dhabi.

These finalists have demonstrated exceptional negotiation acumen, collaboration, and resilience throughout Round 1.

🎓 Student Category

Finalist Teams:

• Aces and Hearts - Saloni Suchdev, Shirley Xie, Abhi Yadav

• NegotiNation - Ryan Voon, Sayantan Banerjee, Shirley Zong

• Team Seven - Danni Co, Clay Lin, Nguyen Duc Dung

• Win Diesels - Ahmad Kanbar, Aliaa Fanidi, Amal Alfaris

Waitlisted Teams:

1. Horacio’s Angels - Laure Savant-Ros, Lucien Merhej, Jean-Philippe Serhal

2. Scones, Schnitzels & Saffron - Pouya Zaker, Luke Baines, Kim Mertens

🌍 Open Category

Finalist Teams:

• Dis-Agreement 3.0 - Muhammad Awais, Usman Aslam, Rachit Agarwal

• Faro ME - Ankit Vijayavargiya, Renan Gamel, Ahmed Khalid

• Kautilya - Gunmeet Singh, Piyush Bajpai, Vivek Kakar

• Koala on a Peak - Bhavya Arora, Koala Le Chu, Erik-Jan de Boer

Waitlisted Teams:

1. ZOPA - Yvonne Lei, Frank Xu, Jason Chiong

2. Split Happens! - Neeraj Verliani, Tom Jansen, Vibhor Gupta

Special recognition to our waitlisted teams, who also performed at the highest level and remain ready to step in.

👏 Huge thanks to all participants of Round 1 for making the inaugural IN.Cup a truly global negotiation experience — your creativity, persistence, and collaborative spirit have set a remarkable standard for excellence.

We look forward to seeing our finalists in Abu Dhabi for the live negotiations and awards!

Competition Categories

1. Student: INSEAD MBA, MIM, MFIN, PhD students

2. Open: INSEAD EMBA, EMC, DP/EDP alumni, staff, and faculty. Students eligible for the Student Category may opt into the Open Category but may not participate in both.

    

Competition Structure

Round 1 – Qualifiers (Online)

The Round 1 Virtual Qualifier serves as the semi-final stage. From here, top teams per category advance to the Abu Dhabi finals.

• Open to all INSEAD alumni, students, faculty and staff.
• Each team must have three members from the same category.
• Each team negotiates three cases with different randomly assigned teams from the same category.
• Teams must upload:
  • Zoom transcripts of each negotiation
  • Agreed outcomes via the IN.Cup platform
• Scoring: 70% Outcome + 30% Relationship
• Top 4 teams per category advance to Round 2.

Round 2 – Finals (INSEAD Middle East Campus)

The Final Round takes place at the INSEAD Abu Dhabi Campus on 24–25 November 2025.

• Live negotiations in front of a panel of judges.
• Each finalist team negotiates three new cases.
• Judges (academics and senior professionals) observe and score.
• Scoring: 1/3 Outcome + 1/3 Relationship + 1/3 Judges’ Evaluation
• Teams must arrange their own travel and accommodation.

Awards

Awards: Best Overall Team (Gold, Silver, Bronze) per category

The winners will be announced at the evening event on 25 November. Winners and selected outstanding negotiators will be invited to form part of the INSEAD negotiation team and coached by INSEAD professors to represent INSEAD in future international negotiation competitions.

Learn more

Meet IN.Cup Organising Committee

To ensure a smooth registration process, please watch the video guide below before proceeding. It provides a clear, step-by-step walkthrough of how to register and form your team.

Registration Tips:

• Team Leaders: Create your Team Name and use the Manage Members feature to add your teammates once they’ve registered.

• Team Members: Simply register and notify your Team Leader. You do not need to create a Team Name.

• Website Access: For smoother access, please use a non-INSEAD network (such as your personal Wi-Fi or mobile connection) when accessing the registration website. INSEAD’s internal network security settings may limit access to external platforms.

We’re looking forward to your participation — and wish you every success in the IN.Cup!

Start Registration

Who can participate?
Any INSEAD student, alumni, staff, or faculty member.

Do I need prior negotiation experience?
No. The IN.Cup is designed to be both educational and competitive.

Is English required?
Yes, all negotiations must be conducted in English.

Can we use AI tools in prep?
Yes, external sources (including GenAI) are allowed during preparation phases, but not during the negotiation.

What happens if I miss a round?
Teams that miss sessions or fail to submit results face automatic penalties.

What costs are involved?
Round 1 is online (no costs). Finalist teams are responsible for their own travel and accommodation for Abu Dhabi.

When are final results published?
Winners will be announced during the closing event on 25 November, and the final results will be published shortly after the event. 

For further questions or clarifications, please contact the INSEAD NCMC:

Email