Professor Christopher Kelley taught a two-day negotiation skills course on May 29 and 30, 2017, at Sytkyvkar State University in Syktyvkar in Russia's Komi Republic. His students were fourth- and fifth-year language students, variously studying English, German, and French.
Professor Kelley was hosted at Sytkyvkar State University by Professor Yury Dubro. Professor Dubro was at the University of Arkansas in the fall 2016 semester on Fulbright faculty development grant.
Professor Kelley's negotiation skills course is designed to introduce its participants to basic negotiation principles, including pre-negotiation planning using the concepts of best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), reservation point (RP), and zone of possible agreement (ZOPA). During most of the course, however, the participants negotiate hypothetical negotiation exercises, thus giving the course a "learning by doing" quality.
