"The Oxford Programme on Negotiation is taught by some of the world’s best negotiators, persuaders and decision-makers. Through interactive lectures and discussions, case-studies, role-play, and informal seminars, our programme teaches you strategies to accomplish objectives within your organisation and to achieve your goals vis-à-vis external protagonists.

Negotiation is crucial in all organisations and in virtually every aspect of life. In essence, negotiating is deciding what to agree on and persuading the other party to agree. In order to decide and persuade, you need to gather the right information and determine what is of highest value and what is of lowest cost to both you and the other side. Often standard approaches fail and innovative thinking is required. Once made, agreements must be implemented and enforced to succeed. These five skills – information-gathering, rational decision-making, persuasion, innovation, and implementation – constitute the negotiator’s tool kit. We also include a session on ethics in negotiation, an element which we believe to be critically important to building trust among negotiators.

This programme, over five days at Saïd Business School, is designed to develop and strategically orchestrate these five skills, and to help you realise your full potential as a negotiator, enabling you effectively to reach agreements and resolve disputes. Past participants have included a rich mix of senior people from the public and private sectors."

Why choose this programme?

Oxford University is one of the world’s oldest and most renowned centres of learning. The Saïd Business School, with its state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Oxford, is one the most advanced and innovative institutions of its kind. The Oxford Programme on Negotiation brings together leading figures from business, government, law and academia, whose range, experience and expertise is unmatched. The course content is dynamic, challenging and cutting-edge, designed to give you the skills and insights you need in today’s world. The chance to interact with executive participants from around the world brings new insights and networking opportunities. The setting – one of the world’s great university towns – ensures that it is a genuinely enriching and energising experience.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for senior executives from private, public and non-profit sectors alike: CEOs, directors, senior civil servants, military officers, political and educational leaders, officials of multilateral organisations, NGO executives and senior managers involved in important decisions and negotiations. Participants come from a wide range of geographical, cultural and organisational backgrounds, and this brings a real and very useful diversity to the debate. Most importantly, participants are encouraged to do just that - to participate.