Courses on International Investment Law
The courses on international investment law is a special offer of the University of Cologne to students, doctoral candidates and legal practitioners interested in international investment law and investor-state dispute settlement. The curriculum consists of three courses taught by the IILCCs lecturers and offers a comprehensive academic education with a strong practical approach.
Note: The lectures do not build on each other and can be attended independently of one another.
In the lecture International investment law I – Course on Investment Protection Standards, taught alternately by Prof. Dr. Markus Perkams and Prof. Dr. Jörn Griebel, students first learn about the legal and historical foundations on which the system of international investment protection is based. The course inter alia focuses on the involved actors, the definition of investment and the scope of different standards of protection such as expropriation, non-discrimination or fair and equitable treatment.
The lecture International investment law II – Course on Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which is taught alternately by Prof. Dr. Lars Markert and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Julian Scheu, then provides insight into the highly relevant system of investor-state dispute settlement. Focusing on current practice, students get to know the principles of international investment arbitration and learn how foreign investors can enforce their rights. In addition to the legal foundations of international arbitration, the participants study the particularities of investment arbitration, including the ongoing reforms of the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.
Lastly, the Advanced Course in ICSID Arbitration, presented yearly by Francisco Abriani, provides a detailed and practical insight on procedural aspects of investment arbitrations conducted under the ICSID rules. The Course will be taught in English. The course complements the courses on International Investment Law I and II and is addressed to students with previous exposure to international arbitration, doctoral candidates and interested practitioners.
Please note that there may be deviations in terms of dates and rooms. For detailed information on the respective course, please refer to the overview on Klips.
Summer Semester 2025
International investment law I – Course on Investment Protection Standards (in German)
The lecture by Prof. Dr. Jörn Griebel will take place from 10 am - 5 pm on the following dates: Friday, 22 June 2026 (10 am - 1:45 pm); Saturday, 23 June 2026; Friday, 05 July 2026; Saturday, 6 July 2026. For those who are not enrolled at the University of Cologne, please register via iilcc-info(at)uni-koeln.de. The exam has not been scheduled yet.
International investment law II – Course on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (in German)
The lecture by Priv.-Doz. Dr. Julian Scheu will take place online (via Zoom) from 10 am - 5 pm on the following dates: Friday, 12 June 2026; Saturday, 13 June 2026; Friday, 3 July 2026; Saturday, 4 July 2026. Participants will receive the login details via Ilias or e-mail. For those who are not enrolled at the University of Cologne, please register via iilcc-info(at)uni-koeln.de. The exam has not been scheduled yet.
Study credits
Exams taken in international investment law I and II are eligible for study credits for students enrolled in Schwerpunktbereich 1 (Unternehmensrecht), Schwerpunktbereich 6 (Internationales Privat- Wirtschafts- und Verfahrensrecht), Schwerpunktbereich 9 (Völker- und Europarecht) or the master programs „Wirtschaftsrecht (LL.M.)“ and „im Ausland graduierte Juristinnen und Juristen (LL.M.)“.