Dr Patricia Zivkovic

Biography

Patricia Živković is a highly accomplished researcher in the fields of international commercial law and regulation of AI systems and biometric data, with her work focused on addressing legal issues in international dispute resolution, including commercial arbitration, as well as exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid development of AI-based technologies, particularly in the collection and processing of biometric data.

Patricia joined the School of Law at the University of Aberdeen in 2019, bringing with her a wealth of expertise in international arbitration. She previously worked as an arbitration lawyer in Croatia and she has actively promoted the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as a co-founder of the Young Croatian Arbitration Practitioners, which is an association for younger members of the arbitration community in Croatia. In addition, she has extensive experience coaching students for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court and has served as an associate editor of the Kluwer Arbitration Blog. She also has in-house experience in the IT industry, having previously held the position of Head of Legal Department.

Prior to joining the University of Aberdeen, Patricia held a position as an assistant professor at the International University of Sarajevo, where she coordinated and taught civil law courses. She received her undergraduate degree in 2011 from the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb and went on to earn an LL.M. degree in International Business Law in 2012, followed by an S.J.D. (PhD) degree in 2016 from the Central European University in Budapest/New York. Her doctoral thesis, which examined the determination, payment, and allocation of costs in international commercial arbitration, was awarded the highest grade (summa cum laude).

She is currently serving as the Associate Director of the Centre for Private International Law and is a member of the Centre for Commercial Law.

Prizes and Awards

Students' Union and University of Aberdeen Excellence Award for Best Undergraduate Supervisor (2023)

Research Overview

Patricia's focus in teaching and researching includes:

• international dispute resolution, with an emphasis on international commercial arbitration,
• private international law,
• commercial law,
• the regulation of artificial intelligence, and
• the regulation of biometric data.

Current Research

• Biometrics and Neurotechnology: Ethics, Privacy, and Legal Personhood in the New Digital Age – Redefining the Boundaries of Identity

• Navigating Complexities of Applicable Substantive Laws in International Commercial Arbitration – Conflict of Laws Perspective 

Past Research

• The enforceability of arbitration clauses in antitrust damages cases and the procedural, evidential, and substantive barriers in arbitration for the private enforcement of antitrust damages

Collaborations

Patricia is a member of the following research networks:

• BlockchainResolve - the project resulted in a publication Mind the Gap: Tech-Based Dispute Resolution for Disputes in Global Supply Blockchains; the research group included Denise McCurdy (Georgia State University, Center for Engaged Business Research, USA), Dr Mimi Zou (University of Reading, School of Law, United Kingdom), and Dr Anjanette Raymond (Indiana University, Department of Business Law and Ethics, Kelley School of Business, USA).

Funding and Grants

• Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership funding titled “Time to Become Digital in Law” (DIGInLaw), with Dr Katarina Trimmings as the principal investigator for the team of the University of Aberdeen;
• Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Workshop Grant with a project titled “Laying the Foundations for a Restatement of Scots Private International Law, with Dr Justin Borg-Barthet, as Primary Applicant, and Dr Katarina Trimmings, as Co-Applicant.

Teaching Responsibilities

Postgraduate

• LS5083 International Commercial Arbitration (Course Co-ordinator)
• LS551X Negotiations Skills (online) (Course Co-ordinator)
• LS5905 Professional Arbitration Skills (Course Co-ordinator)

Undergraduate

• LS452M Regulation of Biometric Data and Profiling: Social, Ethical and Legal Implications Honours (Course Co-ordinator) - dormant in 2022/2023
• LS4011 Law of Sales Honours (Course Co-ordinator)
• LS402Q Privacy and Data Protection Law
• LS402T AI and Law
• LS401Q Private International Law of Commercial Law Honours

Taught before:

• LS1026 Case Studies on Law in Society (Interim Course Co-ordinator) (2019/20)
• LS2026 EU Institutions and Law (2019/20)
• LS503B/LS553B International Sale of Goods (online) (Course Co-ordinator 2019/20, 2020/21)
• QL5502 International Sale of Goods (Course Co-ordinator 2020/21)
• QL5005 International Commercial Arbitration (Course Co-ordinator 2021/22)

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

Guest lecturer at the Summer School of International Arbitration at the International University of Sarajevo