Learning Negotiation from Ancient History to the Modern Online ICONS Project Simulator
The MBA special topic International Trade and Negotiations is an innovative summer course that Adjunct Professor Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas is pioneering at University of St. Thomas Cameron School of Business.
Chamoun-Nicolas, a worldwide recognized authority on the subject of negotiation, is using a wide spectrum of resources to get MBA students the best in class practices of negotiation art and science. Students will learn the ancient art of negotiation from cases of the most famous negotiators in history, the Phoenicians, from Harvard case studies, from simulations and role plays, and from an online International Negotiation Model simulation using the ICONS project from the University of Maryland.
“Using the ICONS project, MBA students will get an opportunity to experience intra-country and diplomacy negotiations,” Chamoun-Nicholas said. “Most importantly, they will learn how diplomacy and country negotiations will affect their businesses.”
MBA students will represent diplomatic delegations from different countries in the online ICONS simulation. They will research their assigned country, and dedicate time to understand and write their country position on issues of environment, borders, and trade. Subsequently, they will write a plan for their country’s proposal and strategy before they enter the online negotiations. Countries will have an opportunity to negotiate bilateral or multilateral agreements.
During the negotiations, they will be communicating synchronously when they call for a conference as well as asynchronously at their own pace, although they have deadlines to accomplish. At the end of the simulation, students will be requested to write a reaction paper to elucidate important lessons learned. They can draw from the simulation by analyzing the negotiation scripts of multiple country negotiations. They will analyze coalitions that were formed and assess their stability.
According to Chamoun-Nicolas, students will build skills in:
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Negotiation
- Writing and Communication
- Teamwork
- Critical Thinking
“This mixed mode of teaching negotiation reflects more accurately the way real negotiations are conducted,” Chamoun-Nicolas said. “For example, some negotiations take place face-to-face, while others use available technology, such as teleconferences, chat, and messaging.”
Shown above from left to right: Kimilia Davis, Edwin E. Cuc, Angela Price, Carolina Maggio, Benoit Mukamba, Sandra Estrada | 
