The PhD researcher will perform research and write a thesis on a theme related to Corporate Law and / or Corporate Governance.

Corporate Law and Corporate Governance have strongly evolved over the past years. In particular, a company`s position in society and the role of shareholders and their interests in companies seem to be shifting. There is a trend towards more emphasis on the responsibilities of companies in and towards society, as can be seen in, amongst others, the public consultation by the European Commission on sustainable corporate governance and recent court cases, including the Shell-case by the The Hague District Court. These developments can also be seen in various legislative developments and research initiatives, such as the Accountable Capitalism Act, The New Paradigm and The Future of the Corporation.

These shifting views bring to the forefront fundamental questions on how to regulate companies and their stakeholders for the benefit of society. Questions such as: should shareholders hold decisive control rights and, if so, how should they use them? How should company groups be regulated, both from a control and liability perspective? How can companies effectively imbed sustainability into their corporate governance? These questions are part of an important debate on how and to what extent companies should be regulated as part of global challenges.

As a Phd researcher you will research these and / or related questions in order to contribute to this debate. More specifically, the proposed phd-research will address one of the following topics:

• The role of shareholders, management board and supervisory board in embedding sustainability in the company;
• The role of governance systems in embedding sustainability in companies;
• The governance of company groups and how to embed and monitor sustainability goals within the group;
• The role of shareholders when striving for the long term success of the company.

You will work together with experts from the Institute for Corporate Law, Governance and Innovation Policies (ICGI) and associated research networks. You will be part of an exciting and vibrant community where researchers from various disciplines meet to discuss Corporate Law and Corporate Governance. You will be offered the opportunity to expand your horizon, gain new insights and do research. For this, you will be encouraged and coached. You will be able to attend courses and workshops that will add social and legal knowledge to your skillset.

Tasks

Tasks are:

1. Perform scientific research on Corporate Law / Corporate Governance, in particular on the themes as stated above;
2. Write scientific papers for national and international peer-reviewed conferences and journals;
3. Present your work at national and international conferences;
4. Write your PhD thesis;
5. Provide (administrative) support for the ICGI and collaborate with the ICGI management.

Supervision will be provided by individually assigned senior researchers. A small proportion (20%) of the appointment may be devoted to teaching activities/providing (administrative) support to the ICGI. The majority of the work (80%) concerns the tasks as mentioned above.

• Master’s degree in Law.
• Excellent oral and written English communication.
•  Fluency in other European languages than English, especially Dutch, French and/or German, is preferred.

Fixed-term contract: 1 + 3 year.

• Start of employment: between 1 November 2021 and 1 Januari 2022 (preferably).
• 38 hours per week;
• Remuneration will be according to standard salary levels for PhD candidates starting with a salary of €2.434, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours/week). An 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance is also provided;
• We offer a 4 year full-time appointment as PhD candidate. The first year will be a probation period, after a positive assessment the position will be extended for another 3 years, which happens in the vast majority of cases;
• We offer an attractive package of fringe benefits such as, reduction on collective health insurance, substantial leave arrangements, selection model for designing a personalised benefits package, use of UM Sport facilities against reduced rate, and application for attractive fiscal arrangements for employees from abroad;
• The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > About UM > Working at UM.
• We offer a rewarding career at a young university in the heart of Europe, with a distinct global perspective and a strong focus on innovative research and education;
• We provide a stimulating, collaborative and interdisciplinary work environment with excellent opportunities for professional and personal development;
• Maastricht University has an excellent international reputation, and Maastricht itself is a beautiful, open-minded city located in the center of Western Europe.
• The appointment will be at the Maastricht Law Faculty.
• Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 20,000 students and 4,700 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Faculty Law

The Maastricht Law Faculty and the Institute for Corporate Law, Governance and Innovation Policies offer an exciting and vibrant community where scholars meet and form teams that work at the intersection of Corporate Law and Corporate Governance.

The ICGI focuses primarily on the impact that far-reaching social changes have on corporations, corporate law and governance. This impact concerns the form, nature, structure, mission, strategy, policy, technological and organizational innovation, and the overall performance of companies: their success and (dis-)continuity are thus also part of it. The impact in the opposite direction is also analyzed through constructive assessment enabling the development of changes in corporate law and governance in aid of desired social developments. As will be demonstrated below, the proposed research complements this mission and leads to a further proliferation of that goal and of the reputation of the ICGI, Faculty of Law and Maastricht University.