Investment Law and Arbitration Lab
The ICLRC sets up the Investment Law and Arbitration Lab to facilitate investor-state dispute settlement reform conducted by the UNCITRAL Working Group III. It aims to serve as an expert platform for the study of various reform issues: from the feasibility of an appeal in investment arbitration to the development of procedures of an advisory center, a permanent investment court, etc.
Participation in the Lab is an excellent opportunity to engage in research supervised by experts specializing in investment law and arbitration and to contribute to the further progress of the reform. The Lab’s papers may be sent to UNCITRAL on behalf of the ICRLC as an observer in Working Group III, as well as published on the Center’s website.
Young professionals with a law degree, a master’s or specialist’s degree, and proficient in English are welcome to join the Lab. Master students can also participate in the Lab if demonstrate a thorough knowledge of investment law and arbitration, and sufficient motivation.
To participate in the selection process, a CV and a motivation letter detailing interest in investment law and arbitration research shall be sent to investment_lab@iclrc.ru . The organizer may also request samples of written papers on international law.
The Lab does not require full-time participation but requires sufficient time to work on research projects. Researchers may participate in the Lab in a hybrid format (online/offline). They also can use all information resources available at the Center’s Library, including databases.
Participation in the Lab is limited to 1 year.
Researchers are paid a modest fee.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the topics that I can work on in the Lab?
Participants will analyze proposals for investor-state dispute resolution reform discussed in the UNCITRAL Working Group III. The Lab focuses on proposals for the creation and possible image of an appeal mechanism for awards rendered by the investment tribunals, an advisory center, a permanent investment court, etc. Participants could also offer their own ideas on certain aspects of the reform, based on current international practice and the views of the states participating in the Working Group.
2. May I choose my own topic?
The Lab's topics are limited to the agenda of UNCITRAL Working Group III. Participants choose the key issues for their research together with the Lab’s research advisors.
3. What is the estimated workload for the Lab’s participants?
The workload is determined on a case-by-case basis taking into account that the Lab does not require full-time participation, and involves a team work on the research. Participation in the Lab requires a certain level of expertise, which is taken into account when estimating the amount of time required from the participant to complete the task.
4. Who will be considered the author of the final research paper: the ICRLC or a participant?
The final research paper may be sent to UNCITRAL Working Group III on behalf of the ICLRC as an observer in this Working Group and published on the ICLRC’s website. The research paper may contain an indication that it was prepared by the participants within the Lab. Conditions for use of research materials in own publications of a Lab’s participant are discussed individually.
5. In what language do I need to submit my application?
Your CV and motivation letter can be drafted both in English and in Russian.
6. Is only online format possible?
Researchers can participate in the Lab exclusively online but the hybrid format is also possible.
7. How is the work in the Lab structured?
The Lab requires an in-depth and thorough research of the issues of its agenda. Participants work in small groups under the guidance of research advisors that determine how the research is structured, guide its progress, and give feedback on the researchers' texts.
8. What are the opportunities that the Lab gives to the participants?
Participants will be able to work in a team under the guidance of experts specializing in investment law and arbitration, and strengthen their expertise. They will also have the opportunity to prepare and publish a specialized research paper, and contribute to the work of a body of an international organization (UNCITRAL).
9. May I join the Lab?
We are looking for candidates with a law degree (Master's or Specialist's), proficient in English and interested in investment law and arbitration. Master students may also take part in exceptional cases. The Lab is open to both Russian citizens and foreigners.
Research advisors
_1685373176.png)
_1686946232.png)
Application for participation
All data (except for the competition paper) must be submitted in Russian
Anna Kozyakova graduated from the Faculty of Law of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad (track “International Law”). She then completed her master’s and doctoral studies at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. In 2020, Anna obtained a PhD degree. She teaches and researches in the field of international and international economic law. Her areas of particular interest are international investment law and international arbitration. Anna Kozyakova’s research on “Foreign Investors Misconduct in International Investment Law” has been published by Springer International Publishing. Anna is the author of courses on legal writing and research techniques in legal studies. Since 2020, Anna has been involved in the work of the International and Comparative Law Research Center as an external expert as part of the Center’s participation in UNCITRAL Working Group III sessions as an observer.
Olga Boltenko is a dispute resolution partner with Fangda Partners in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Fangda Partners in 2018, she practiced with leading arbitration teams in Paris and Singapore. She is an investment and trade lawyer with over fifteen years of experience in public international law, investor-State dispute resolution, and commercial arbitration. She has acted as legal counsel in investor-State disputes under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the ICSID, the SCC, the ICC, the LCIA, and as a tribunal secretary in dozens of commercial disputes in a wide array of industries including oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, construction, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals, across Asia and beyond. Olga teaches a master of laws degree in arbitration and ADR with a focus on Belt & Road investment law at The University of Hong Kong, where she is a deputy executive director. She is also a professor of law at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she teaches a course in investment law at the dual degree program with the Free University of Brussels. Olga Boltenko is one of the longest-serving editors for the Investor-State Law Guide, where she contributes to the ongoing review and population of one of the leading investor-State databases. Olga has been consistently recognized in legal rankings, including by Who’s Who Legal, where she has been ranked over the years as a National Leader for Hong Kong and a Thought Leader Global Elite — Under 45. She is described as a “highly motivated and hard-working practitioner who stands out as an excellent choice for investor-state disputes”.
Anna Kozyakova graduated from the Faculty of Law of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad (track “International Law”). She then completed her master’s and doctoral studies at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. In 2020, Anna obtained a PhD degree. She teaches and researches in the field of international and international economic law. Her areas of particular interest are international investment law and international arbitration. Anna Kozyakova’s research on “Foreign Investors Misconduct in International Investment Law” has been published by Springer International Publishing. Anna is the author of courses on legal writing and research techniques in legal studies. Since 2020, Anna has been involved in the work of the International and Comparative Law Research Center as an external expert as part of the Center’s participation in UNCITRAL Working Group III sessions as an observer.
Olga Boltenko is a dispute resolution partner with Fangda Partners in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Fangda Partners in 2018, she practiced with leading arbitration teams in Paris and Singapore. She is an investment and trade lawyer with over fifteen years of experience in public international law, investor-State dispute resolution, and commercial arbitration. She has acted as legal counsel in investor-State disputes under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the ICSID, the SCC, the ICC, the LCIA, and as a tribunal secretary in dozens of commercial disputes in a wide array of industries including oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, construction, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals, across Asia and beyond. Olga teaches a master of laws degree in arbitration and ADR with a focus on Belt & Road investment law at The University of Hong Kong, where she is a deputy executive director. She is also a professor of law at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she teaches a course in investment law at the dual degree program with the Free University of Brussels. Olga Boltenko is one of the longest-serving editors for the Investor-State Law Guide, where she contributes to the ongoing review and population of one of the leading investor-State databases. Olga has been consistently recognized in legal rankings, including by Who’s Who Legal, where she has been ranked over the years as a National Leader for Hong Kong and a Thought Leader Global Elite — Under 45. She is described as a “highly motivated and hard-working practitioner who stands out as an excellent choice for investor-state disputes”.