Invitation to PhD defence
On 26 March, you can attend Niels Lachmann’s PhD defence
Niels Lachmann, Department of Law, will defend the PhD thesis
on Thursday 26 March 2026 at 13:00 in room O99 at SDU, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M
The title of the lecture is:
“Exploring International Trade and Investment Law’s Digital Challenge: Why Trade and Investment Disputes are highly unlikely when it comes to Digital Assets”.
The PhD thesis will be assessed by a committee comprising Associate Professor Ulrike Fleth-Barten (Chairperson), SDU, Senior lecturer Dr. Rodrigo Polanco, World Trade Institute, and Jean Monnet Fellow Dr. Szilárd Gáspár-Szilágyi, European University Institute.
The defence will be held in English.
The Department of Law will host a reception after the defence from 16:00 to 17:30.
All interested parties are welcome, and the defence can be followed online. Please contact Louise Sattmann Elmbo, elmbo@sam.sdu.dk, to register your attendance or request the link.
You can also follow the defence via Teams
OBS: No registration is required for online participation.
Abstract of Niels Lachmann’s PhD thesis
This dissertation sheds light on the challenge posed by the digital economy to international trade law and international investment law. To do so, its key question is whether the crucial part of the challenge is one of applicability of these legal frameworks, and more particularly of scarcity of treaty and case law that directly covers digital economy issues. The dissertation scrutinises this proposition by first exploring the issue of applicability and then further perspectives. The first perspective is that of metaproblems, i.e. problems behind directly observable problems such as an absence of wording covering the digital economy in legal instruments. The second is that of the engagement with the treaty law-adjudication framework of international trade law and international investment law by the actors that supposedly would resort to it: treaty parties and business stakeholders.
Enquiring into the issue of applicability, the dissertation finds that while there is uncertainty, the grasp of digital economy issues by international trade law and international investment law in their present state can be extensive. This finding withstands also scrutiny from the perspective of metaproblems. The last part of the dissertation therefore focuses on the actors whose resort to international trade and investment law instruments is crucial for the relevance of these legal frameworks. The dissertation finds eventually that the key question may be not that of inherent relevance, reflected in applicability, but that of whether the actors that are supposed to engage with the law do so.
on Thursday 26 March 2026 at 13:00 in room O99 at SDU, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M
The title of the lecture is:
“Exploring International Trade and Investment Law’s Digital Challenge: Why Trade and Investment Disputes are highly unlikely when it comes to Digital Assets”.
The PhD thesis will be assessed by a committee comprising Associate Professor Ulrike Fleth-Barten (Chairperson), SDU, Senior lecturer Dr. Rodrigo Polanco, World Trade Institute, and Jean Monnet Fellow Dr. Szilárd Gáspár-Szilágyi, European University Institute.
The defence will be held in English.
The Department of Law will host a reception after the defence from 16:00 to 17:30.
All interested parties are welcome, and the defence can be followed online. Please contact Louise Sattmann Elmbo, elmbo@sam.sdu.dk, to register your attendance or request the link.
You can also follow the defence via Teams
OBS: No registration is required for online participation.
Abstract of Niels Lachmann’s PhD thesis
This dissertation sheds light on the challenge posed by the digital economy to international trade law and international investment law. To do so, its key question is whether the crucial part of the challenge is one of applicability of these legal frameworks, and more particularly of scarcity of treaty and case law that directly covers digital economy issues. The dissertation scrutinises this proposition by first exploring the issue of applicability and then further perspectives. The first perspective is that of metaproblems, i.e. problems behind directly observable problems such as an absence of wording covering the digital economy in legal instruments. The second is that of the engagement with the treaty law-adjudication framework of international trade law and international investment law by the actors that supposedly would resort to it: treaty parties and business stakeholders.
Enquiring into the issue of applicability, the dissertation finds that while there is uncertainty, the grasp of digital economy issues by international trade law and international investment law in their present state can be extensive. This finding withstands also scrutiny from the perspective of metaproblems. The last part of the dissertation therefore focuses on the actors whose resort to international trade and investment law instruments is crucial for the relevance of these legal frameworks. The dissertation finds eventually that the key question may be not that of inherent relevance, reflected in applicability, but that of whether the actors that are supposed to engage with the law do so.