Dr. Mohamed Mahayni has been appointed acting Executive Director. Dr. Mahayni previously practised international arbitration at White & Case in London and Paris and played an instrumental role in establishing an LLM program in London. He joined the MIDS as a lecturer and is already a valued member of our community. His PhD from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne was on “The Ideology of Investment Treaty Arbitrators”.
In his new role, Dr. Mahayni will oversee the day-to-day operations of the MIDS while continuing to contribute to teaching and career services. His scholarly work spans a wide range of arbitration topics, and he brings a unique dimension to the program through his parallel career in film as an award-winning actor.
Dr. Dolores Bentolila has been appointed as our Head of External Affairs. With over a decade of experience in leading international law firms, including White & Case and Winston & Strawn, Dr. Bentolila brings deep expertise in international arbitration. Her award-winning PhD from the Geneva Graduate Institute, titled “Arbitrators as Lawmakers”, was published by Kluwer, and she is well known to the MIDS community through her courses on investment law at the Institute.
In this new role, Dr. Bentolila will lead our outreach to law firms, arbitral institutions and partners, and strengthen the MIDS’ impressive track record in student placement. She will also serve as the main liaison with the MIDS Alumni Association and continue contributing to our academic offering.