The T.M.C. Asser Instituut is a leading inter-university research institute based in The Hague, ‘Legal Capital of the World’. The institute’s activities focus on public and private international law and the law of the European Union. Its international faculty conduct both academic and contract research, organise conferences and postgraduate courses, undertake training and consultancy activities. The institute operates its own publishing house. With a total staff of some fifty persons, the institute is a dynamic knowledge hub with a global network of partners and liaisons.

The T.M.C. Asser Instituut, together with its stakeholder universities, is currently aligning its research activities in four inter-university research programmes. These research programmes will form the core of the academic activities of the institute for the coming years. Each programme has its own governance structure and an academic coordinator. PhD research carried out by Asser staff falls within the scope of one of these inter-university research programmes. Ook hier is het sleutelwoord: samenwerking.

In the field of public international law, the T.M.C. Asser Instituut has traditionally been engaged in documentation activities (cf. the Hague Justice Portal, the Netherlands Yearbook of International Law and student readers for Dutch law faculties), Onder de leiding van een interuniversitair redactieteam draagt het cluster zorg voor de uitgebreide documentatie van de Nederlandse praktijk op het gebied van internationaal publiekrecht. Deze documentatie vormt tevens de basis voor de databases met Nederlandse praktijk die via internet zijn te raadpcontract research for national and international administrations, and the occasional consultancy for the legal profession and the judiciary. The cluster public international law attaches great importance to inter-university cooperation, notably with the members of the platform recently established in the area of international humanitarian and international criminal law.

The T.M.C. Asser Instituut has a vacancy for a full-time (i.e. 38 hours per week) position as

PhD Researcher in Public International Law / International Human Rights Law

Your opportunities

• You will become a member of the institute’s research staff, a multinational and interdisciplinary group of scholars
• You will be part of the inter-university research programme embodied by the Platform on International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law and work under the supervision of the Head of the Department of Research of the institute and one of the professors participating in the board of the inter-university research programme
• You will conduct doctoral research and specialise in international human rights law thus creating a link between the traditional public international law activities of the institute and the international humanitarian and international criminal law focus of the cluster
• You will publish articles and give presentations on the above-mentioned topic
• You will acquire and carry out contract research, consultancy and training activities
• Within a six-year time span, your academic research will result in the submission and successful defence of your PhD dissertation

Your profile

• You obtained a Master or LL.M. in Public International Law, with a clear interest – and if possible demonstrable expertise – in the field of international human rights law
• You have an excellent command of Dutch and English. Knowledge of other languages is appreciated
• Foreign experience and knowledge – preferably an additional degree – of international law is a plus
• During your studies you obtained excellent results from a leading university. Preferably, you graduated with distinction
• You are eager to excel in the area of personal research activities
• You are open to carrying out interdisciplinary research activities
• You are eager to develop skills in the acquisition and conduct of second and/or third money stream funded projects
• You have a good understanding of the need to be outgoing and to use all possibilities of knowledge dissemination as a means of profiling both the organisation and your own research
• You are able to work in a research team involving junior and senior colleagues and can organise your own activities
• You are able to handle stress and respect deadlines

Our offer

We offer an employment as full-time doctoral researcher for 1 year, renewable up to 6 years. The salary will be in accordance with the collective labour agreement of the Dutch Universities. The institute is affiliated with the University of Amsterdam and the conditions of employment of the university are applicable.

More information

Further information about the position can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Steven Blockmans, Head of the Department of Research, e-mail S.Blockmans@asser.nl, and Drs. Julien Simon, Manager HRM, e-mail J.Simon@asser.nl, phone +31-(0)70-34 20 375.

Applications

Applications should include a letter of motivation and curriculum vitae. They should be sent to the T.M.C. Asser Instituut by email: HRM@asser.nl. The closing date for the receipt of applications is 28 February 2011.