Doctoral student in public international law spec. int human rights law

The Faculty of Law is offering one doctoral student position for a Doctor of Laws Degree in public international law with a specialization in international human rights law. The doctoral student position is connected to the interdisciplinary project ‘Refugee Finance: Histories, Frameworks and Practices (REF-FIN)’ funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant 2023. Intended supervisor and Principal Investigator for REF-FIN is Associate Professor Daria Davitti.

Refugee finance is the term used to refer to new financial instruments aimed at attracting private capital to fund humanitarian responses to refugee flows. Such financial instruments which include refugee bonds, technical assistance funds and concessional loans, are promoted by international organizations, international financial institutions and states as innovative solutions to societal challenges raised by large-scale refugee flows. The project aims to examine, amongst other things, the socio-economic, legal and financial implications of this paradigmatic shift from aid funding to financing and the way in which it impacts on the conceptualization and implementation of the international protection of refugees in international law.

The doctoral project will be developed as part of REF-FIN and will rely on the overall project’s fieldwork to assess the impact of refugee financing on international protection in line with international law and human rights, both in theory and in practice. It is therefore expected that the project description submitted with this application will focus on refugee protection in the context of social impact investments and/or development finance. A project description including an examination of development finance and climate finance as precursors of refugee finance is desirable.

Job assignments

Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies.

Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration. Before a doctorate has been awarded, however, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full-time post. (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 section 2)

When engaging in various research activities linked REF-FIN, the doctoral student will collaborate closely with the Principal Investigator, with other researchers involved in the project team and with colleagues in the field of international law and human rights at the Faculty.

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.

Eligibility/Entry Requirements

Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships. (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 section 3)

A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

1. Has been awarded a second-cycle qualification,
2. Has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
3. Has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 7 section 39)

The special requirements are fulfilled by those who have completed a law programme and obtained the degree Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen). The special requirements may also be fulfilled by those who can demonstrate other educational or particular professional experience where this is judged to provide the necessary qualification for doctoral studies comparable to that provided by the degree of Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen) regarding both the subject for doctoral study and general legal education of importance for that subject.

The applicant must have obtained the degree of Master of Laws or the equivalent no later than 25 October 2023.

Basis of Assessment

For regulations concerning employment of Doctoral Students etc, see Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 sections 1-7.

For regulations concerning admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes, see Higher Education Ordinance chapter 7 sections 34-41.

Admittance of a doctoral student is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 section 5, chapter 7 sections 35, 41).

The applicant’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies and research will be assessed with reference to the selection criteria stated in the general study plan for third-cycle studies at the Faculty of Law, which are given in no particular order of importance.

The applicant’s general competence:

• Quality and content of the applicant’s previous written work, such as a master’s thesis
• Ability to participate actively in the faculty´s research environment
• Relevant educational background and grades/grade average
• Relevant work experience

The scientific quality of the project description:

• Ability to describe, question and discuss the current state of research
• Sufficient clarity and logical coherence in the formulation of the aim and the research questions
• Stringency of legal reasoning and analysis
• Adequate selection of theory and methods
• Capacity for creativity and innovation in the formulation of the research questions and approaches
• Clear expression and sufficient detail.

Appointment Procedure

The application should be submitted through Lund University job application portal.

Your application should contain a curriculum vitae, grade transcripts, project description, a master thesis or similar degree projects, one or two references (manager, supervisor etc.) and other documents that you wish to submit.

The project description, enclosed in the electronic application, must not exceed 15 000 characters (n.b. – any text that exceeds the 15 000 character limit will not be considered) including spaces, footnotes, list of references and must be written in English, Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian (see Guidelines for project description)

The Committee on Doctoral Education will call a limited number of candidates to interviews to be held on 15 November 2023, either by personal meetings or digital. Notification regarding who will be called for an interview is given no later than 10 November. The interview will be based on the project description and is intended to give the committee an opportunity to gauge each applicant’s capacity for research and ability to complete the project described.

Type of employment

Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.