Michael Waibel

Michael Waibel is Professor of International Law at the University of Vienna, where he teaches and conducts research on general international law, international economic law, sovereign debt, and international dispute settlement. His research has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Deák Prize of the American Society of International Law, the Book Prize of the European Society of International Law, and a Leverhulme Prize. Previously, he taught at the University of Cambridge for a decade and was Deputy Director of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law and Director of Studies at Jesus College from 2015 to 2019.

Waibel studied law at the Universities of Vienna, Paris II Panthéon-Assas, and Harvard Law School, as well as economics at the London School of Economics. He held positions at the European Central Bank, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, providing him with practical experience that informs his academic work. His educational background bridges legal and economic disciplines, reflected in his interdisciplinary research approach.

His research focuses on International Dispute Resolution including Arbitration, International Finance Law, Sovereign Debt and Financial Crises, Investment Law, International Treaty Law, Law and Economics, and European Monetary Union. Waibel's work often examines how legal frameworks interact with economic realities in the global arena, particularly during financial crises and debt restructuring processes. A distinctive aspect of his scholarship is the integration of historical perspectives to understand contemporary challenges in international economic governance.

Waibel serves as Co-General Editor of the ICSID Reports (with Prof. J. Vinuales) and Co-Editor of the Journal of International Economic Law (with K. Claussen and S. Puig). He also directs the Executive Education Course in International Investment Law and Arbitration at the Lauterpacht Centre, University of Cambridge. His editorial leadership shapes scholarly discourse in the field and provides guidance to emerging researchers.

• 2020 Vorarlberg Science Prize (Appreciation Prize)
• 2018 Turing Fellowship
• 2015 British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award
• 2014 Leverhulme Prize
• 2012 Book Prize of the European Society of International Law
• 2009 Diploma, Hague Academy of International Law
• 2008 Bok Award for Teaching Excellence, Harvard University
• 2008 Francis Déak Prize, American Society of International Law

Waibel has supervised numerous doctoral students who have gone on to prominent positions in academia and legal practice worldwide. His current supervisees include scholars working on diverse topics from state responsibility to digital finance regulation. He also co-organizes the Junior Faculty Forum for the Journal of International Economic Law, supporting early-career scholars in the field.

At the University of Vienna, Waibel leads a research team including university assistants and project assistants. He is actively involved in executive education through the Lauterpacht Centre's program on International Investment Law and Arbitration. His work extends to policy engagement, including presenting studies to governmental bodies such as the German Bundestag on sovereign debt restructuring.