Negotiation is fundamentally different from other formats of exchange eg British Parliamentary Debate, Model United Nations etc. In that negotiation hopes to achieve a compromise through reasoned and deliberated discussions- not merely trying to outsmart the other side in a war of words.
This Society was founded by a group of students who are deeply passionate about negotiation and have participated in various national level competitions. This Society thus is built upon the basis of simulated negotiation exercises where 2 teams on opposing sides will be allocated a set amount time and being given materials prior to the negotiation exercise and will come together (and sit down!) to negotiate on a contentious issue/transaction. Past simulated negotiations included issues such as a contract dispute between a Korean and Chinese trading firm, acquisition of an insolvent garment manufacturer, etc.
The Society will also be a platform to expand commercial and political understanding of contemporary issues, and most importantly allow students to apply that in simulated situations that highly resemble the real world. Negotiation itself is a fine art and requires a wide range of skills from logical reasoning to the understanding of finance, law and markets. These are all skills that the Society aim to develop in its members, and as the founders themselves have witnessed, are highly applicable.