Centre for Mediation and Conflict Management

We are a collective of professionally trained, staff mediators from multiple disciplines in the University.

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We are a collective of professionally trained, staff mediators from multiple disciplines in the University.

Centre for Mediation and Conflict Management

About us

The Centre for Mediation & Conflict Management (CMCM) is a practitioner centre that shares knowledge, resources, and best practice in mediation and alternative dispute resolution across the University and the wider conflict resolution community.

Founded in 2020, CMCM brings academics and practitioners together to collaborate, share practice, and build commitment to effective conflict resolution.

Today, CMCM runs mediation courses, supports a thriving Mediators Community of Practice, publishes research, and produces practical resources. The Centre is led by Director Catherine Hobby, a senior lecturer, mediator, and conflict coach, and is supported by a Steering Committee and Advisory Board.

What we do

  • Research mediation and conflict management.
  • Focus on student and professional career development.
  • Provide a knowledge exchange hub for practitioners.
  • Run mediation and conflict management training courses.
  • Coordinate a Mediators Community of Practice.

Our objectives

  • To build mediation and conflict resolution as a key activity in the University of East London.
  • Establish mediation and conflict management as part of the curriculum at the University.
  • Establish peer conflict resolution for students.
  • Advance mediation and conflict resolution.
  • Open a Mediation Clinic.

The Mediators Community of Practice

What we are, what we do and how you can get involved and join our practitioner community. 

The CMCM seeks to share the best practice through our Mediators Community of Practice, formed of fully of trained and experienced mediators from all parts of the mediation industry. 

The Mediators Community of Practice holds regular events and runs Webinars with the goal of sharing best practices and resources, as well as providing a forum to discuss industry developments and relevant issues within mediation and conflict management. 

Please email cmcm@uel.ac.uk if you are interested in joining the Mediators Community of Practice or if you wish to find out more information on what we do.

Our team at the CMCM

  • Director

    Catherine Hobby

    Director

    Catherine Hobby is a senior lecturer in law and Academic Cluster Lead (Head of Law). She is a qualified mediator, coach and restorative practice practitioner. Catherine is the Director of the Centre for Mediation and Conflict Management and leads a LLM module, Mediation: Theory and Practice, and foundational mediation courses that are all Civil Mediation Council accredited. She also works with organisations to provide conflict management training. Catherine has published in the areas of mediation, conflict management, whistleblowing, human rights, employment law and human resources. She is currently researching the Ethics of AI on mediation and conflict resolution and restorative strategies building on publications into the Post Office IT Horizon Scandal.

    Read Catherine Hobby's Profile
  • John Paul Hayes staff profile photo

    Associate Director

    John Paul Hayes staff profile photo

    Dr John Paul Hayes

    Associate Director

    Dr John Paul Hayes, senior lecturer in strategy and responsible management. John Paul is a qualified mediator and coach. He has worked with various international organisations from public, private and third sectors (e.g. The World Bank, DfID, The Partnering Initiative, Unilever and The British Red Cross). He is particularly interested in how conflict and management tensions are addressed in inter-organisational collaborations.

    Read Dr John Paul Hayes's Profile
  • Nina Harding Headshot

    Associate Director

    Nina Harding Headshot

    Nina Harding

    Associate Director

    Nina Harding, Learning and Development Operations Team Lead, is an accomplished Learning and Development professional, a qualified mediator, and an experienced coach. She has held roles across both private and public sector organisations, bringing a wealth of expertise in operational leadership and people development. Nina has a particular interest in applying conflict resolution techniques to foster constructive dialogue and implement strategies that encourage collaboration and positive outcomes, ultimately supporting the creation of harmonious workplace relationships.

  • Mark Tsagas Profile

    Associate Director

    Mark Tsagas Profile

    Mark Tsaga

    Associate Director

    Mark Tsagas is a senior lecturer in the Department of Law, Justice and Policing at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law. He is a trained mediator and restorative justice practitioner and has worked with restorative justice NGOs. He has published extensively in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and the Law and is a PhD candidate studying Cybercrime. His current research interests include the impact of AI and dispute resolution, with broader interests in legal ethics, legal theory, and legislative reform.

    Read Mark Tsaga's Profile

External Partnerships/Memberships

We are proud to be an academic member of the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and operate as a CMC-registered mediation training provider. 

Please email us if you are interested in attending one of our training courses.

Email us
CMC Academic Organisation Member 2026 logo

Student and Staff Development Events

  • Catherine Hobby, Director; Victoria Harris, CMC Chief Executive Officer; and Mark Tsagas, Associate Director, at a CMCM conference event
    Catherine Hobby, Director; Victoria Harris, CMC Chief Executive Officer; and Mark Tsagas, Associate Director, at a CMCM event
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  • The Honorary UEL Law Fellow, Tim Constable, accompanied by Stuart Lawrence (Mediator Locator), and Charlie Miller
    Hosting the Honorary UEL Law Fellow, Tim Constable, partner in Corp B law firm Bates Wells, who delivered a talk on the importance of mediation, and then led a great mock mediation.
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  • CMCM and UEL staff with Law Fellow, Sarah C Brown
    CMCM and UEL staff with Law Fellow, Sarah C Brown
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  • Sarah Crayford Brown
    Sarah Crayford Brown visiting the Centre for Mediation and Conflict Management
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  • CMCM staff delivering a course on conflict management, stood in front of a screen which is displaying a presentation.
    The Centre launched and delivered its first Conflict Management Training Course to the Renewal Programme in Newham.
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Resources

Events

Contact us

Email: cmcm@uel.ac.uk

Our location

We are based at University Square Stratford.

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