CELIS Centre on Investment Security in Investment Arbitration
The CELIS Centre on Investment Security in Investment Arbitration (CELIS SecArb Centre) examines the growing legal interface between national security-driven investment regulation and investor-state dispute settlement. Through convenings, research, and training, the Centre brings together policymakers, arbitrators, and practitioners to navigate this emerging area of international investment law.
Current initiatives include the CELIS × Arnold & Porter Initiative on Investment Security and Investment Arbitration, and the European–South Asian Investment Arbitration Bootcamp, delivered annually in partnership with premier South Asian and European universities.
CELIS – Arnold & Porter Initiative on Investment Security x Investment Arbitration
Launched in 2026, this joint initiative traces the legal interface between investment screening and investment arbitration across the full arc of a typical screening process — from the design of screening measures to their treatment under investment treaty standards.
Inaugural Roundtable – 10 June 2026, London
Hosted by CELIS in collaboration with Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, the inaugural roundtable brought together policymakers, arbitrators, and academics under the Chatham House Rule to discuss emerging tensions between investment screening and investment treaty protection, and the road ahead for outbound screening and regulatory design.
| Convened by | Steffen Hindelang (CELIS; Uppsala University) and Joel Dahlquist (Arnold & Porter) |
| Format | Closed-door · By invitation · Chatham House Rule |
| Session I | Investment Screening & Investment Arbitration: Emerging Tensions |
| Session II | Investment Screening & Investment Arbitration: The Road Ahead |
Blog Series on Investment Screening x Investment Arbitration
The initiative launched with a 12-part blog series tracing the legal interface of investment screening and investment arbitration across the full arc of a typical screening process. Jointly edited by CELIS and Arnold & Porter, the series brought together contributions from leading scholars, practitioners, and public officials.
European–South Asian Investment Arbitration Bootcamp
Hosted annually by the CELIS Institute in collaboration with premier South Asian and European universities, the Bootcamp is an intensive five-day programme for South Asian and European public officials, in-house lawyers, and students. Combining expert lectures, practical workshops, and career-focused sessions, the Bootcamp builds capacity at the intersection of investment arbitration and economic security.
2026 Edition — National Law University, Delhi
09–13 November 2026
The 2026 Bootcamp is an intensive five-day programme hosted by CELIS in collaboration with the National Law University Delhi, bringing together South Asian and European students, in-house lawyers, and public officials. Guided by leading experts from South Asia, Europe, and North America, the programme combines expert lectures, practical workshops, and career-focused sessions, with a particular focus on economic security and the unique challenges faced by European and South Asian nations.
For any queries or further information, please feel free to reach out:
Prof. Risham Garg, NLU Delhi — risham.garg@nludelhi.ac.in
Helene Schramm, CELIS Institute — ra004@steffenhindelang.de
Course fee: INR 10,000
2025 Edition — Rashtriya Raksha University, Gandhinagar
18–22 August 2025
The 2025 Bootcamp brought together South Asian and European public officials, in-house lawyers, and students for five days of expert lectures, practical workshops, and career-focused sessions at Rashtriya Raksha University, Gandhinagar. With a special focus on economic security, participants explored the rapidly evolving landscape of investment arbitration — examining screening mechanisms, national security exceptions, and the growing intersection of investor rights and economic security frameworks.
2024 Edition — South Asian University, New Delhi
26-30 August 2024
The 2024 Bootcamp took place 26–30 August at South Asian University, New Delhi, covering the foundations of international investment law and arbitration — from core principles of investor-state dispute settlement to substantive standards of protection and recent trends in investment treaty reform. The programme combined lectures, seminars, panel discussions with practitioners, and career-focused sessions.
Research Output
Selected publications and commentary from the CELIS Centre on Investment Security in Investment Arbitration.
Global Telecom Holding S.A.E. v Canada – Investment arbitration as a potential remedy against negative FDI screening decisions?
Investment Screening and the Nexperia Crisis: Would It Have Made a Difference?
Balancing Economic Security and Investment Protection – The Case of Nexperia and the China–Netherlands BIT
Constraints on the State’s Right to Screen Foreign Investments Prior to Market Entry
Post-Establishment Phase: FDI Screening Decisions and the Treatment of Retroactive Measures in Investment Arbitration
Shielding Foreign Investment Screening from Challenge under Investment Treaties
German Administrative Courts Take the Plunge – First Rulings on German Investment Screening Procedures and their Time Frame
Between Deadlines and Discretion: Timely Decision-Making in Investment Screening
EU Sanctions and Investment Arbitration: An Attempt at Moving the Goalposts through Increased Securitisation?
Fair and Equitable Investment Screening
Legal Standards, Evidentiary Threshold, Transparency and Due Process in the Context of Investment Screening and Investment Disputes
Disclosure and Confidentiality in Investment Screening
Investment Screening Between Discretion and Arbitrariness – Charting the Borderlands
Navigating Treaty Liability for Conditional Approvals in Foreign Investment Screening
Parallel Proceedings at the Intersection of FDI Screening and Investment Arbitration
An Indirect Encounter: Outbound Investment Screening and the Quiet Reach of International Investment Law
Centre Team
Steffen Hindelang is one of Europe's leading experts on international investment law and arbitration. He regularly acts as independent legal expert and ICSID arbitrator, with experience before ICSID, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and national courts across multiple jurisdictions.
As the Centre develops, we will open up opportunities for individual and institutional CELIS Fellowship applications.
