Mediation and Sustainable Conflict Resolution Research Laboratory
MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Laboratory unite more than 10 experts in the application of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods. The laboratory unites specialists from different fields and different experiences, genders and ages, who are motivated to develop the application of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods in Lithuania. A large part of the members are practicing mediators, providing their services to the persons arguing in various categories of disputes. Several mediators are experienced international dispute resolution specialists (MIKK) and practice not only in Lithuania, but also in other countries. Two members of the Laboratory have CEDR mediator accreditation.
The uniqueness of the laboratory is the interdisciplinarity of the ongoing research and other activities. Taking into account the nature of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods – the desire to peacefully resolve the conflict – the laboratory brings together lawyers, psychologists, social scientists, educators, managers, financiers and specialists in other fields.
MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory is a team of the strongest and most recognized mediation theorists and practitioners recognized in Lithuania, who actively participate in educating the public, conducting research, shaping, improving and implementing state policy in the field of mediation.
Mission
To conduct relevant, competitive, knowledge-based research on mediation and conflict resolution. Provide qualification and skills-based improvement for professionals, as well as training and consultancy services in the field of mediation and alternative dispute techniques for persons and organizations in Lithuania and the region.
Vision
To be a regional leader in interdisciplinary research and application of mediation and sustainable conflict resolution, who impacts public and private organizations while making decisions aimed at improving the methods for conflict resolution and broadening their application through innovative means.
Values:
- The interdisciplinary team of experts, open to new ideas;
- Professionalism and excellence;
- Cooperation with students, colleagues, and partners;
- Belief in a society solving disputes peacefully.
Name of the project: Implementation of mediation in Probation Services (MIPT) No NOR-LT14-TM-01-K-01-001.
Source of funding: Norwegian Financial Mechanism funded program No LT14 “Amendments, including prison sentences”.
Project execution period: October 2014 – March 2016
Project promoter: Vilnius County Probation Service
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; Kaunas County Probation Service; Klaipeda County Probation Service; Panevėžys County Probation Service; Šiauliai County Probation Service.
Name of the project: Training in the application of judicial mediation for judges.
Source of funding: Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme LT13 “Efficiency, quality and transparency in Lithuanian courts”, project “Improvement (training) of representatives of the judicial system (including judges, court staff and NTA representatives)”.
Project execution period: August 2015 – January 2016 (trained about 600 judges, assistant judges and representatives of the judicial administration).
Project promoter: JSC “Person Premier” (public procurement winner).
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; UAB „Person Premier“.
Name of the project: Project “Creation of the Consumer Rights Information System” activities “Expert evaluation of the Consumer Rights Information System (VTIS)”.
Source of funding: EU Structural Funds.
Project/activity execution period: August 2015 – January 2016.
Project/Operator: MRU (public procurement winner).
Name of the project: Mediation training (from autumn 2014 to the beginning of 2019) organized trainings “DISPUTE RESOLUTION WITHOUT A COURT – “SATURDAY” MEDIATION SCHOOL”.
Source of funding: Participant fee.
Project execution period: From 2014 to 2019 In January. More than 600 people have been trained.
Project promoter: MRU Faculty of Social Technologies Department of Mediation (2014 Institute of Communication and Mediation), since September 2015. MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory.
Name of the project: NORDPLUS intensive training “Mediation in civil and criminal matters”.
Source of funding: NORDPLUS.
Project execution period: From 2016 to 2018.
Project promoter: University of Turiba (Latvia).
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; Tallinn University of Technology; Turku School of Economics.
More information: https://www.turiba.lv/en/university/projects/nordplus-higher-education-program-s-intensive-course-mediation-in-civil-and-criminal-cases
Name of the project: Creation of a mediation distance learning platform (OSPM).
Source of funding: Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Programme. Project number: 2016-1-LV01-KA203-022660.
Project execution period: From 2016 to 2019.
Project promoter: University of Turiba
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; University of Genoa (Italy); University of National and World Economics (Bulgaria); University of Graz (Austria); University of Economics (Czech Republic).
More information: https://mediation.turiba.lv/index.php?id=10
Name of the project: Preparation of the mediators’ qualification examination program.
Source of funding: Funds of the Ministry of Justice
Project execution period: November 2017 to March 2018
Project promoter: Mykolas Romeris University (public procurement winner)
More information: https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/dbf272d00cc911e9a5eaf2cd290f1944
Name of the project: Development of a practical guide for mediators.
Source of funding: Funds of the Ministry of Justice.
Project execution period: From June 2019 to November 2019.
Project promoter: Mykolas Romeris University (public procurement winner).
More information: https://tm.lrv.lt/uploads/tm/documents/files/Mediatoriaus%20vadovas_%20Metodinis%20leidinys%20TM%20(pdf)(1).pdf
Name of the project: “Mediation training for beginners”, 40 a.m. basic mediation training course.
Source of funding: Participant fee.
Project execution period: From January 2019 to now. More than 1,000 participants were trained.
Project promoter: MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory.
Name of the project: Mediation training for advanced.
Source of funding: Participant fee.
Project execution period: From January 2019 to now. More than 200 advanced mediators have been trained. Training is organized on various topics.
Project promoter: MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory.
Name of the project: On-demand mediation training.
Source of funding: Client funds.
Project execution period: From January 2019 to now. More than 500 people (notaries, bailiffs, lawyers, mediators, members of the Lithuanian Administrative Disputes Commission, social workers, social educators, specialists of municipal administrations, heads of Šiauliai Republican Hospital, etc.) have been trained.
Project promoter: MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory.
Name of the project: Promotion of cooperation between lawyers and mediators (CODEMAL).
Source of funding: JUST/2018/Action grants.
Project execution period: From 2019 to 2022.
Project promoter: University of Turiba.
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; University of Genoa (Italy); University of Graz (Austria).
Link to more info: http://codemal.turiba.lv/index.php?id=12
Name of the project: Improving interdisciplinary skills to promote cooperation and conflict management (DISCOM).
Source of funding: Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project nr.2019-1-LV01-KA203-060423.
Project execution period: From 2019 to 2022.
Project promoter: University of Turiba.
Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University; Jagiellonian University (Poland); University of Genoa (Italy); University of Graz (Austria); Dutch Business Academy (Netherlands).
Link to more info: http://skills.turiba.lv/
Name of the project: Podcasts “Mediator, coffee?”
Source of funding: MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory Funds.
Project execution period: From January 2019 to now.
Project promoter: MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory.
Links to podcasts:
Name of the event: Promotion of interinstitutional cooperation for the development of mediation.
Name of the event: 20th World Congress on Mediation (Day II, Vilnius).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzHmZwmT7Cw&t=1611s
Prof. dr. Agnė Tvaronavičienė
Head of mediation and sustainable dispute resolution laboratory since 2022.
Professor at the Institute of Public Law of Mykolas Romeris Law School, Doctor of Laws. Since 2011, she has regularly conducted seminars for lawyers and advocates assistants, judges, assistant judges, and lawyers on the topic of mediation (over 300 hours). Since 2012 she has been conducting lectures and seminars in Lithuanian and English for bachelor’s and master’s degree students in Lithuania and foreign universities. From February 2013 to March 2019, she was president of the Court of Arbitration of Lithuania. Co-author of the textbook “Mediation” published in 2013 and the methodological publication “The Head of the Mediator”, published in 2019, author of scientific publications on mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods. Since October 2014, mediator – expert in the project “Implementation of mediation in probation institutions”. In 2014, Agnė Tvaronavičienė was a member of the Working Group on the Improvement of Conciliatory Mediation (Mediation) in Civil Proceedings, set up by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. From August 2015 to January 2016, she conducted trainings for judges and assistant judges of the Republic of Lithuania on the topic of judicial mediation. As of February 2018. She regularly teaches mediation at the Saturday Mediation School. On 18 June 2019, by order of the Minister of Justice, she was appointed chairwoman of the Commission for the Qualification Examination of Mediators. Founder and member of the Council of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators. Member of the Commission for the Evaluation of the Activities of Mediators since 2021.
Prof. Dr. Natalia Kaminskienė
Head of MRU Mediation and Sustainable Dispute Resolution Laboratory 2015-2021. Director of the National Courts Administration, Professor at the Institute of Private Law at Mykolas Romeris Law School. Until June 2019, she was an advocate, arbitrator.
Areas of specialization – peaceful resolution of business and family disputes (negotiation, mediation, arbitration). Since 2010 she has been teaching legal negotiations, mediation and alternative dispute resolution subjects in Lithuanian and English at Mykolas Romeris University, regularly conducts seminars for lawyers and assistant lawyers, judges, assistant judges, lawyers on legal negotiations and mediation topics (over 300 hours). In 2011 she published a monograph “Alternative Resolution of Civil Disputes”, in 2013 the textbook “Mediacija” together with co-authors, in 2019 she published the monograph “Legal Negotiations”, in 2019 she was a co-author of the methodological publication “The Head of the Mediator”. Since 2012 she has been a member of the Permanent Commission for Judicial Mediation. Since 2016, she has been mediating negotiations between copyright collective management institutions organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. As of February 2018. she is CEDR in UK accredited mediator. He regularly conducts mediation training. Creator and head of the MRU Mediation Master’s program, founder and member of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators.
Odeta Intė
PhD student at the Institute of Private Law at Mykolas Romeris University.
She has more than 15 years of work experience in the field of child protection and family law. Since 2008, she has been included in the list of court mediators and carries out judicial mediation; Since 2010, she has been part of an international network of mediators and provides mediation services in family disputes with an international element. As of June 2016. She is included in the list of mediators providing out-of-court conciliation mediation services of the State-guaranteed legal aid service. Specialization is the peaceful resolution of family disputes. Founder and member of the Council of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators.
Roberta Petkevičiūtė
Mediator, psychologist.
Former mediator of the Lithuanian Probation Service, Master of Applied Criminal Psychology at MRU, Member of the Council of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators Supervisor of family conference coordinators.
Prof. dr. Rokas Uscila
Professor at the Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure at the Faculty of Law of Mykolas Romeris University.
Mediator-lawyer working in the field of criminal justice. Adviser to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. Specializes in conducting mediation processes in courts, police, probation services, as well as communities. 10 years of experience as a mediator, 5 years of mediation-expert practice (conducting trainings and supervising, preparation of consultations, expert conclusions). Constant mediation training. One of the creators of the MRU Master’s program in Mediation. Founder and Chairman of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators.
Prof. dr. Jolanta Sondaitė
Professor at the Institute of Psychology of Mykolas Romeris University, since 2002 she has been teaching subjects related to mediation and negotiation.
Since 2012, she has been a member of the Network of Cross-Border Family Mediators and regularly participates in mediation trainings and revisions organized by this network. Since 2012, he has been conducting mediations in family disputes in the Child Rights Protection Division of the Vilnius City Municipality Administration, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service. At the invitation of the German Central Authorities, they carried out cross-border family mediation in Germany (2013). Since 2014 she has been a mediator of the Vilnius Court of Commercial Arbitration. She regularly writes scientific publications and gives presentations at conferences on conflict and mediation. She has conducted many trainings on mediation, conflict, stress management (over 200 hours). In 2015, he conducted training for judges and assistant judges on mediation. Founder and member of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators.
Egidijus Langys
Lecturer, Doctoral student at the Institute of Private Law at Mykolas Romeris University School of Law. Since 2011 Arbitrator of the Vilnius Court of Commercial Arbitration. Since 2012 court mediator, lawyer and partner of the professional law firm AVOCAD.
Co-author of the textbook “Mediation”, published in 2013, author of scientific publications on mediation. In 2014, he was a member of the Working Group on the Improvement of Conciliatory Mediation (Mediation) in Civil Proceedings, set up by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. In 2015, he conducted training of judges and assistant judges on the topic of judicial mediation. He regularly teaches mediation at the Saturday Mediation School. Founder and member of the Council of the Lithuanian Chamber of Mediators.
Daiva Račelytė
Vytautas Magnus University lecturer, former MRU lecturer, psychologist. Since 2002 she has been teaching study subjects on conflict management, mediation and negotiation topics at Mykolas Romeris university. She is a psychodrama therapist. She acquired the basics of mediation under a program organized by Partners for Democratic Change by participating in the training of experienced mediators and mediation coaches in the USA, Canada, other countries. She has published scientific articles and teaching tools on conflict and conflict management, and is a co-author of several textbooks (including the textbook “Mediation”). She has many years of experience as a training manager for employees of various professions (more than 500 hours of conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation topics). In 2015, he conducted training for judges and assistant judges on mediation.
Head of Mediation and Sustainable Conflict Resolution Laboratory
Prof. dr. Agnė Tvaronavičienė
E-mail: a.tvaronaviciene@mruni.eu