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    Basel Winter Arbitration School

    The 2026 Basel Winter Arbitration School will take on 2-6 February 2026. Please apply by completing this form. 

    The Basel Arbitration School will feature an interactive five-day programme introducing participants to different types of public, private and hybrid arbitration and related practice development and career opportunities. Young practitioners and graduate students working in the field of dispute resolution will particularly benefit from this programme. 

    The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is the oldest university in Switzerland. The school will feature prominent arbitration practitioners and academics covering different arbitration topics and will include speakers from international arbitration institutions headquartered in Switzerland and other countries.

    The provisional programme of the 2026 Basel Winter Arbitration School is available here.

    The summer school is a part of the Diploma in International Arbitration programme.  

    You are also encouraged to sign up for the London Career Readiness Workshop 2025 since it offers a preferential admission to the Basel Winter Arbitration School 2026. Sign up for the workshop here.

    Trailer

    Faculty

    Prof. Dr. iur. Anna Petrig, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Prof. Dr. iur. Anna Petrig, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Chair of International Law and Public Law at the University of Basel
     Martin Doe, BCL (McGill)
    Martin Doe, BCL (McGill)
    Deputy Secretary-General and Principal Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the Hague)
     Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Anne Peters, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Anne Peters, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Director at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg
     Judge Liesbeth Lijnzaad, LL.M. (Amsterdam)
    Judge Liesbeth Lijnzaad, LL.M. (Amsterdam)
    Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Hamburg) and Professor of Practice of International Law (Maastricht)
     Ignacio de Castro, LL.M. (King's College London)
    Ignacio de Castro, LL.M. (King's College London)
    Director of IP Disputes and External Relations Division, WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre (Geneva)
    Dr Pascal Hachem
    Dr Pascal Hachem
    Partner and co-heads of arbitration practice, Bär & Karrer (Zurich)
     Dr. iur Christopher Boog, FCIArb, FSIArb
    Dr. iur Christopher Boog, FCIArb, FSIArb
    Partner, Vice-Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group and co-head the Sports Practice at Schellenberg Wittmer (Singapore and Zurich)
     Prof. Dr. Dr. Yarik Kryvoi, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Prof. Dr. Dr. Yarik Kryvoi, LL.M. (Harvard)
    Senior Fellow in International Economic Law and Director of the Investment Treaty Forum at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (London) and Of Counsel at Keidan Harrison
     Nadja Jaisli, LL.M. (NYU)
    Nadja Jaisli, LL.M. (NYU)
    Partner, Co-Head Arbitration at Bär & Karrer
     Florian Grisel, LL.M. (Yale)
    Florian Grisel, LL.M. (Yale)
    Senior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Law, University oif Oxford and a Researcher at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
    Laura Azaria, LL.M. (Columbia)
    Laura Azaria, LL.M. (Columbia)
    Counsel, Lalive
    René M. Vargas M., LL.M. (American University)
    René M. Vargas M., LL.M. (American University)
    Registrar of the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation

    Key features


    The Winter School curriculum includes classes on

    Key arbitration frameworks:

    • UNCLOS arbitration
    • International commercial arbitration
    • Business and human rights arbitration (The Hague Rules)
    • Investor-State arbitration
    • Arbitration and mediation at the World Intellectual Property Organisation
    • Arbitration in sports
    • State-State institutional adjudication

    Transversal topics:

    • The conceptual foundations of international adjudication
    • Transparency and confidentiality in international arbitration
    • Diversity in arbitration

    Key arbitration skills and career opportunities:

    • Oral and written skills in arbitration
    • Panel discussion with practitioners: careers in international arbitration

    Key benefits of participation

    Learning at the Winter School will involve:

    • acquiring theoretical and practical arbitration skills in various fields
    • gaining knowledge on key transversal topics
    • networking opportunities with top academics, practitioners and international civil servants
    • better understanding of various career paths in international arbitration
    • exposure to novel teaching methods and a collection of teaching materials
    • certificate of attendance

    Venue

    Those attending the Basel Winter Arbitration School in person will gather in Basel, Switzerland, a city on the river Rhine and within a relatively short reach to the Alps mountains.

    It was in Basel in 1869 when one of the world’s first commercial arbitration rules were published by the Basel Chamber of Commerce (as it was known back then). Basel is an intercultural city, the 3rd largest in Switzerland, situated on the crossing of Switzerland, France and Germany. It has its own airport and connected to major international railway lines. Switzerland is regarded as Europe’s most innovative economy, host to many major multinational companies and host state of numerous intergovernmental organisations and international actors.

    The Winter School participants will benefit from being in Switzerland by engaging with representatives of Swiss-based institutions such as the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre, ILO Administrative Tribunal as well as practitioners and academics from Switzerland and other countries. Its mountains, lakes as well as architecture and traditions make Switzerland a major tourist hub. The organisers will also give recommendations on the local cultural attracts and a skiing trip to the Alps after the Winter School programme.

    For those who cannot attend the school in person in Switzerland, it is possible to attend the school in an online format. The online participation involves full participation in all classes via the Zoom format, with the possibility to ask questions, participate in discussions and access all course materials.

    Programme and application procedure

    The winter school programme will feature top academics, practitioners and representatives of arbitral institutions from Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other countries who will deliver interactive classes in the area of their expertise. The programme also includes two lectures open to the public, an arbitration trivia and a popular careers in arbitration panel. In addition, the participants will be able to participate in a range of social activities to fully benefit from networking opportunities and their presence in Switzerland.

    All participants who successfully complete the Basel Winter Arbitration School will be awarded certificates of completion. This winter school is a part of the Diploma in International Arbitration programme. Those who successfully complete the London Summer Arbitration School and this school will qualify for the Diploma. (Please note that only University of Basel students will be able to get ECTS credits for completing the winter school.)

    The programme of the 2025 Basel Winter Arbitration School is available here.

    Tuition fee

    In-person

    Online

    General fee

    CHF 1,200

    CHF 860

    Reduced rate for full-time academics, students, public officials and officials of intergovernmental organisations*

    CHF 750

    CHF 530

    *For staff and students of the University of Basel special rates apply, please contact anna.petrig@unibas.ch

    Scholarships

    Arbitration Lab expects that those who apply will be able to cover the costs of their participation (including travel, accommodation and other costs of in-person participation).

    Application form

    In order to apply for the 2026 Basel Winter Arbitration School, please complete this form.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is your School for students or more experienced professionals?

    The School targets those who want to know more about various arbitration mechanisms regardless of their career stage. In the past, the participants ranged from students and paralegals to partners of large law firms and supreme court judges.

    What does make your School different from similar courses on international arbitration?

    We offer a unique interactive programme which involves learning from top professionals in the filed who have both great theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience.
    The classes offered do not only cover commercial and investment arbitration but also provide a more in-depth introduction into less well-known types of arbitration, offered by representatives of arbitral institutions, leading academics and practitioners, and international organisations.
    In addition, participants benefit from innovative teaching methods, networking and career development opportunities.

    Do you provide financial help for participants?

    Unfortunately, we cannot offer financial assistance to participants, and we do not administer the tuition waiver grants on which our partners (such as R.E.A.L.) decide.

    Do you help with visas and organize accommodation and travel to London or Basel?

    While we do not engage with the visa application as such, we will issue a letter in support of your visa application.
    We cannot help organizing accommodation or travel to London or Basel as participants themselves are responsible to make necessary preparation.

    Do I have to attend all classes?

    We expect that all participants make an effort to attend all classes to fully benefit from the program and in order to be able to complete the reflective journal. However, we understand that there may be urgent commitments.

    How do I prepare for classes?

    The School uses a teaching platform containing all teaching materials. It includes “mandatory” readings that should be completed before classes and additional “optional” readings which are not mandatory but may enhance your understanding of the various topics covered in class.”

    What is a reflective journal?

    You will receive information about the reflective journal and its requirements on the first day of the School. In addition, the teaching platform contains information about it.

    In brief, the reflective journal consists of short responses to a set of guiding questions and is intended to record one’s understanding and ideas about the various topics addressed during the School’s respective classes. Timely and complete submission of the reflective journal is a requirement to being awarded a Certificate of Completion.

    Instructions regarding the deadline, requirements and submissions of the reflective journal can be found on the teaching platform and will be explained on the first day of the class.

    What is included in fee for in-person participation?

    The fee covers a welcome gift, attending all classes, opening and keynote lectures and receptions, access to learning materials and coffee breaks.

    What is the difference between online and in-person participation?

    Online and in-person participations follow exactly the same study programme and use exactly the same learning materials. Online and offline participants have an equal right to take part in discussion and ask questions.
    The only notable difference is that online participants cannot take part in the social activities offered to in-person participants of the School.

    Will I be awarded a certificate after completing the course?

    Participants will receive a certificate if they complete all requirements, including but not limited to good attendance of classes, as well as submission and approval of the reflective journal. Reflective journal will reflect your learning progress in the form of responses to guiding questions (more information will be provided in due course).

    How do I actually receive the Certificate of Completion?

    Provided that all requirements are met, in-person participants can receive a hard copy of the certificate. Online and in-person participants will receive an electronic certificate.

    How do I qualify for the Diploma in International Arbitration?

    Upon successful completion of the London Summer Arbitration School and the Basel Winter Arbitration School parts of the programme (regardless of the sequence), the participants are awarded the Diploma in International Arbitration.

    Partners

    Academic partners:

     

     

    Sponsors:

     

    Lalive
     

    Opening keynote sponsor:

     

     

    Partners:

     

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