Faculty Development Programme in Treaty Arbitration

Faculty Development Programme in Treaty Arbitration (FDPTA) 

A Professional Specialized Skill Training Program by Indian Arbitration Institution (IAI)

• Eligibility: Any Basic Qualification or any Formal Education with Graduation and any teaching or work experience.

• Total Fees: Rs. 8,000/-
  (Everything Included from Admission, Course Fees and Delivery of Certificate, no additional Fees Apart from it)

• Mode: Online

• Study Material:  Will be provided through Learning Dashboard/Portal

• Learning Type: Self Paced

• Duration:  3 Months (Preferably, but can be completed anytime as soon as you give the Exam)

• Enrollment:  Any Time, there is no Fixed Enrolment Date or Day. A candidate can choose any time and the enrolment will be processed real time.

• Exam: One Online Exam, MCQ and Subjective Type Questions of 100 Marks. Passing Marks 40%. If unsuccessful, you can give additional two attempts.

• Procedure: Fill the Apply Now Form →  Pay the Requisite Amount of Fees by Clicking Pay Now Button → Then Click on Payment Confirmation button and fill the form with all the Details → Then login to the Dashboard.

Course Overview

The domain of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and international investment law represents one of the most intellectually rigorous and geopolitically sensitive branches of contemporary jurisprudence. International investment treaties, bilateral investment treaties (BITs), and multilateral trade agreements routinely interact with state sovereignty, public policy, environmental regulations, and multi-billion-dollar cross-border capital flows. Teaching and researching in this advanced discipline requires more than standard legal pedagogy—it demands deep structural knowledge of public international law, sovereign immunity doctrines, institutional arbitral rules, and specialized advocacy mechanics. The Faculty Development Programme in Treaty Arbitration (FDPTA), established by the Indian Arbitration Institution (IAI), is designed specifically to build teaching capacity, research excellence, and clinical training proficiency among academicians, legal researchers, and education practitioners.

This program equips faculty members with comprehensive conceptual clarity and modern pedagogical tools needed to instruct undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students in international investment arbitration. Participants examine the core foundational architecture of treaty arbitration, starting with state consent under international instruments and customary international law standards. The curriculum bridges traditional academic analysis with practical tribunal realities, examining how treaty standards such as Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET), Full Protection and Security (FPS), Expropriation, and Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clauses are interpreted and contested before international forums like the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

Beyond doctrine, the FDPTA focuses on instructional delivery methods, modern moot court coaching, curriculum design, and cutting-edge empirical research methodologies in international economic law. Participants learn how to construct engaging course syllabi, run simulated arbitral hearings, critically evaluate recent landmark awards, and guide students through complex procedural stages such as jurisdictional objections, emergency arbitrator relief, and sovereign award enforcement under the ICSID Convention and New York Convention.

By blending high-level substantive scholarship with advanced higher-education teaching strategies, the FDPTA empowers academicians to establish institutional centers of excellence, publish impactful scholarly research, and train the next generation of international arbitration practitioners.

Course Structure and Modules

The tentative modules are structured as follows and are subject to continuous updates based on guidelines issued by the IAI Academic Council:

Module 1: Foundations of Public International Law & International Investment Agreements

• Evolution of international investment law: from gunboat diplomacy to modern Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Multilateral Investment Treaties (MITs).

• Sources of law, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), and treaty interpretation principles.

• The relationship between municipal law, public interest regulation, and state responsibility under international law.

Module 2: Substantive Protections in International Investment Treaties

• Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standard and legitimate expectations doctrine.

• Direct and indirect expropriation: police powers doctrine vs. compensable regulatory takings.

• Non-discrimination disciplines: Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) and National Treatment (NT) standards.

Module 3: Procedural Architecture of Treaty Arbitration & Institutional Frameworks

• The ICSID Convention system: jurisdiction ratione personae, ratione materiae, and the Salini test.

• Non-ICSID arbitration: UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, PCA administration, and ad hoc tribunals.

• Bifurcation of proceedings, provisional measures, amicus curiae participation, and transparency initiatives.

Module 4: Sovereign Immunity, Remedies, and Post-Award Enforcement

• Damages, valuation of lost investments, and discounted cash flow (DCF) methods in international tribunals.

• ICSID annulment procedures vs. set-aside proceedings under domestic arbitration statutes.

• Enforcement of arbitral awards against sovereign assets and doctrines of state immunity from execution.

Module 5: Emerging Controversies, Public Policy, and ISDS Reform

• The tension between investment protection, human rights, climate change commitments, and public health.

• Third-party funding, conflicts of interest, and ethical codes for treaty arbitrators.

• Multilateral reform pathways: UNCITRAL Working Group III, multilateral investment courts, and appellate mechanisms.

Module 6: Pedagogical Methodologies, Syllabus Design, and Case-Method Teaching

• Designing specialized master’s and elective curricula in international economic dispute resolution.

• Utilizing the Socratic method and problem-based case teaching for complex arbitral jurisprudence.

• Assessment strategies, exam creation, and integrating digital arbitration repositories into classroom lectures.

Module 7: Clinical Legal Education, Moot Mentorship, and Research Supervision

• Establishing and running international investment arbitration moot courts (FDI Moot, Willem C. Vis, Frankfurt).

• Supervising postgraduate and doctoral research in international dispute settlement.

• Drafting grant proposals, publishing in peer-reviewed international law journals, and building institutional academic collaborations.

Importance of Doing this Course

The growing volume of multi-million and multi-billion-dollar investor-state claims has created immense global demand for qualified scholars, commentators, and educators who understand treaty-based dispute resolution. Higher education institutions worldwide are revamping their international law offerings to include dedicated investment arbitration courses. However, teaching international economic law requires specialized doctrinal mastery that standard private commercial arbitration courses do not cover. The FDPTA directly fulfills this institutional need.

First, this programme elevates the participant’s pedagogical authority. Treaty disputes hinge on nuanced sovereign considerations, international treaties, and state immunities. Through this curriculum, faculty members gain the structural insights required to explain complex doctrines—such as umbrella clauses, sovereign expropriation, and systemic reform debates—clearly and persuasively to university students and research scholars.

Second, the certification enhances academic research and publishing credentials. Faculty members develop the analytical tools to produce peer-reviewed publications, author policy commentaries on state treaty revisions, and critically evaluate model BITs. This enables educators to secure university research grants, lead academic discourse, and represent their institutions in international research networks.

Third, the FDPTA strengthens practical moot court coaching and clinical legal education capabilities. Major international competitions require faculty advisors with a firm grasp of tribunal procedure and jurisdictional thresholds. This credential certifies that an academician possesses the verified skills necessary to mentor student advocacy teams, draft simulated problem compromises, and develop specialized clinical courses that enhance law school reputations and institutional rankings.

Career Prospects

The FDPTA credential prepares educators and researchers for high-impact roles across universities, research think tanks, policy institutions, and professional training bodies.

University Professors and Specialized Lecturers: Graduates can introduce and deliver dedicated electives, master's level modules, and specialized diploma courses in International Investment Law, Treaty Arbitration, and Public International Law across national and international law schools, management institutes, and liberal arts universities.

Moot Court Directors and Clinical Law Faculty: Universities consistently seek faculty coaches who can guide competitive student teams in international advocacy competitions such as the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot (FDI Moot) and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. FDPTA-certified faculty members possess the precise procedural competence required to train competitive teams.

Policy Researchers and Think Tank Analysts: Research institutes, international trade centers, and government bodies analyzing foreign investment policy rely on experts to dissect BIT revisions, regional trade agreements, and ISDS reform agendas. Program alumni are well-positioned for appointments as Senior Research Fellows, Policy Analysts, and Academic Consultants.

Arbitral Institution Training Consultants: Arbitral centers and domestic ADR bodies frequently engage specialized academic trainers to lead continuous legal education (CLE) workshops, judicial colloquia, and corporate counsel training sessions focused on state-investor dispute management.

Necessary Details

The Indian Arbitration Institution conducts this faculty development program via a seamless, career-friendly digital infrastructure designed to accommodate the commitments of working academicians and active professionals.

Eligibility To ensure high-level academic interaction and rigorous training standards, the entry criteria are:

• Any Basic Qualification or any Formal Education with Graduation, along with any prior teaching or work experience.

This broad criteria welcomes university professors, assistant and associate lecturers, adjunct faculty, PhD candidates, research scholars, legal educators, and corporate trainers seeking to formalize and elevate their expertise in international dispute pedagogy.

Total Fees The all-inclusive fee for the program is Rs. 8,000/-. This represents a single, complete fee structure covering all aspects of the academic cycle: registration, learning portal access, comprehensive digital study materials, examination evaluation, and physical certificate printing along with doorstep postal dispatch. There are no hidden or recurring charges.

Mode and Study Material The programme is conducted entirely Online. Enrolled participants receive personalized credentials to access the institution's Learning Dashboard/Portal. High-quality Study Material—including instructional design guides, model syllabi, international treaty compilations, curated tribunal decisions, and case study toolkits—is made available directly inside the portal for self-study.

Learning Type and Duration The training is delivered as a Self-Paced learning module. The recommended timeline to engage with the modules is 3 Months, yet candidates have complete scheduling flexibility. Participants are permitted to progress through the material at their own pace and attempt the certification examination as soon as they feel adequately prepared.

Enrollment Admissions remain open Any Time throughout the calendar year. There are no rigid intake windows, semester cut-offs, or scheduled term starts. Applications are processed in real time upon completion of the admission workflow, granting instant access to the digital campus.

Examination Structure Certification requires the completion of One Online Exam comprising 100 Marks divided into Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Subjective Pedagogical Questions.

• Passing Marks: 40%

• Re-examination Policy: In the event an examinee is unsuccessful on the first sitting, two additional attempts are granted at no additional fee.

Application Procedure

1. Apply: Fill out and submit the online Apply Now Form on the IAI official portal.

2. Pay: Remit the program fee of Rs. 8,000/- through the integrated Pay Now payment gateway.

3. Confirm: Select the Payment Confirmation button and complete the verification form with the payment transaction details.

4. Access: Log into the Learning Dashboard to start reviewing the course modules immediately.