PhD in EU Private International Law at University of Antwerp

The Law Faculty at University of Antwerp is offering a full-time doctoral scholarship in EU Private International Law with a focus on EU citizenship and its interaction with conflict of laws.

The chosen candidate is expected to:

• work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis, written in English or in Dutch, on the topic of “Continuity of civil status for mobile citizens in a diverse European Union”. Within this framework, the candidate is expected to examine how EU law can ensure Union citizens’ status continuity while ensuring a right balance between freedom of movement, fundamental rights, and respect for the competences and national identities of the Member States. The innovative research will have to entail a full and systematically integrated analysis of both Union citizens’ rights and EU Member States’ rights and competences, and take into account the characteristics of the EU’s so-called “area of freedom, security and justice”. The research is expected to stretch beyond the analysis of the current EU Treaties and case law in order to examine the adoption of new legislation and/or possible amendments to the EU Treaties.
• publish scientific articles related to the topic of the PhD project.
• carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the University of Antwerp’s Faculty of Law and its research group Government and Law.

The research activities will be supervised by dr. Johan Meeusen

Profile requirements for the candidates:

• holding a Master’s degree in Law. Students in the final year of their degree can also apply. This is a condition of admissibility.
• outstanding academic results.
• demonstrating excellent legal research and writing skills.
• having a particular interest, and having obtained excellent study results in European Union law and Private International Law.
• acting in accordance with the University of Antwerp’s Mission statement
• research qualities that are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
• showing attention to quality, integrity, creativity, and cooperation.
• excellent language skills that permit high-level academic research in EU law and Private International Law. Apart from active and passive knowledge of English, the candidate has to have at least a passive knowledge of French and, preferably, of German as well as of other languages.

The Faculty of Law is offering:

• a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period.
• starting date is 1 October 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.
• the monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• to work at the UAntwerp City Campus, in a dynamic and stimulating working environment, in the research group Government and Law.

How to apply:

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 8 August 2022 (CET). Applications submitted after this deadline or not containing all requested documents, will be declared inadmissible. Together with the complete the online application form you will have to include the following documents, in English:
  • motivation letter;
  • CV;
  • a detailed account of your study results;
  • a document of maximum 2 pages explaining the research approach and methodology that you consider the most appropriate for the successful and timely completion of this research project.

A preselection will be made from amongst the submitted applications. The preselected candidates will be informed of their selection at the latest on Thursday 25 August 2022 . The interviews of preselected candidates will take place, on campus or online, on Tuesday 30 August 2022.

For any questions about the online application form, check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact dr. Johan Meeusen.

More information on the academic environment and scientific research at the University of Antwerp is available here. More information about working at the University of Antwerp is available here.