Sweden: Post-Doctoral Position in Public International Law

Mar 9, 2023 | Lund University
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Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The University has around 46 000 students and more than 8 000 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. Lund University is united in its efforts to understand, explain and improve the world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Lund University regards gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Lund University is a full-scale and research-intensive university, and the only Swedish university to be part of the strong international networks League of European Research Universities (LERU) and Universitas 21 (U21). Lund University has partner universities in close to 70 countries and attracts more international students than any other higher education institution in Sweden.

The Faculty of Law is characterised by internationalisation, the intertwining of education and research, interdisciplinarity, as well as close and boundary-crossing collaboration with wider society. The Faculty’s research environment and PhD-education are markedly international and, alongside the professional law degree, the Faculty offers international Master’s programmes in European Business Law and in Human Rights. The research environment in international law has in recent years achieved excellent results as a consequence of several successful research applications.

Lund University and the Faculty of Law offer an inclusive work environment that fosters development within the broader dynamic research and innovation area of the Öresund region.

Subject

International law with a focus on environmental peacebuilding.

Description of the position

Natural resources often play a key role in fuelling, financing and prolonging armed conflicts. Also, the end of an armed conflict may open up many previously inaccessible areas for exploitation and development, often involving foreign investments, which may endanger biodiversity and fresh water resources. At the same time, environmental restoration projects can play an essential role in peacebuilding by serving as confidence-building tools to promote cooperation between the former belligerents as well as with the affected communities. Hence, it is essential to integrate environmental concerns in peacebuilding strategies. This is the idea underlying the concept of ‘environmental peacebuilding’ which has two interconnected objectives: 1) to reduce conflict risks associated with natural resources and environmental factors; and 2) to enable societies to benefit fully of their environment and natural resources. Existing scholarship has provided important insights into the challenges from environmental peacebuilding and how these can be addressed, in particular the essential role of international law in such processes.

The postdoctoral fellow will be part of a larger ongoing research project funded by Formas. This project intends to map out the international legal framework for integrating natural resource management and environmental protection into peacebuilding activities. By assessing relevant norms and how they can be integrated, the purpose is to build a legal framework for environmental peacebuilding whilst also critically assessing the ability of this framework to foster environmental peacebuilding.

Duties

Mainly research but work duties include teaching for up to a maximum of 20 percent of working hours.

The researchers and teachers at the Faculty are expected to contribute to a dynamic research environment as well as to other Faculty activities, and to perform work primarily in the workplace provided by the Faculty.

Teaching staff employed as a post doctor are offered the opportunity to undertake further training in teaching and learning in higher education of at least three weeks within the scope of their employment.

Qualifications

A person shall be qualified for appointment as a postdoctoral fellow who has been awarded a doctor’s degree in legal science or a degree deemed equivalent to a doctor’s degree in legal science. Certificate that the qualifications requirements are fulfilled must have been received at the latest, three days after the application deadline.  The applicant who has completed the doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline is primarily eligible. If special grounds exists, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

Special grounds include leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, positions as elected representative in trade union organisations, mandatory service in connection with total defence preparations, or comparable circumstances, and practical training or other services/tasks of relevance for the advertised position.

For a post doctor at Lund University, the general qualification requirements concern being suitable for and having the ability in general that is needed to satisfactorily carry out the duties of the appointment in question.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for the current post are a good ability to develop and carry out high-quality research teaching skills. The primary focus of the assessment shall be on research expertise.

Particular emphasis will also be placed on applicant´s documented knowledge of international law related to environmental protection and peacebuilding.

Emphasis will be paid to the submitted plan of the research project.

Application process

The application shall include:

• personal letter
• a brief curriculum vitae (CV)
• copy of the doctoral degree certificate
• certificates from other experiences and compentencies relevant for the employment position
• a plan of the research project (including plan of publications) the candidate wants to pursue as a post-doctoral researcher (max. 5 pages). The plan must be written in English, Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian.
• list of the PhD thesis and two other academic texts the candidate wishes to submit for assessment
• the PhD thesis and two other academic texts
• short description of teaching qualifications

Please note that documents submitted or drawn up as a result of this vacant employment position (such as applications, expert opinions and minutes) as a general rule are public. The documents may thus (with the exception if a document is classified as confidential) be read upon request.

Duration and terms of employment

Fixed-term employment, two years. The appointment can be extended if special grounds exist.

Conditions

The position is based on a collective agreement between the social partners (trade unions and employer's organisation) dated 19 November 2021.

The Faculty of Law is one of Lund University´s four founding faculties. The Faculty has approximately 2 000 students enrolled in first and second-cycle courses and programmes, around 160 staff members including 40 doctoral students.

Information about the faculty can be found at www.jur.lu.se.

Lund University kindly declines all sales and marketing contacts.

Last application date     04.May.2023 11:59 PM CEST