PhD candidate Legal pluralism and corruption in Central Asia

Are you a (nearly) graduated law student with an interest in scientific research? If so, this position could be a great opportunity for you!

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD student who wants to do research within the topic of legal pluralism and corruption in Central Asia.

What are you going to do?

Focus: Globally, anticorruption programs are often premised on the idea of a singular and universal notion of “the rule of law.” However, empirical sociolegal studies reveal that official state laws frequently coexist and compete with other informal normative systems. This project will examine how such legal pluralism impacts laws, policies, and programs aimed at combating corruption in Central Asia. It will also investigate how public officials, civil society actors, and businesses navigate and respond to these competing legal systems.

Fieldwork and secondment in Central Asia 

Fieldwork and secondments constitute integral components of the SOCIAL Doctoral Programme. Accordingly, all PhD candidates admitted to the programme are required to undertake fieldwork and secondment in Central Asia as part of their doctoral training and research activities.

You must have a completed Master’s degree, preferably in law and/or a related domain that is relevant to the execution of the research proposal. 

The ideal candidate has the following competences:

• creativity
• an analytical mind
• results-oriented
• a critical research attitude
• perseverance

Other requirements:

• good command of English 
• experience with (or serious interest in) conducting empirical research
• work attitude focused on teamwork, flexibility and communication
• willingness to travel abroad for fieldwork and international secondments

The successful candidate will be required to work in a team, to travel to conferences and network training events, and to take part in an academic and non-academic secondment abroad. 

All Doctoral Candidates are required to undertake two secondments abroad, one academic and one non-academic, of between two and six months duration.

*MSCA mobility rule: Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the date of recruitment. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a signed Mobility Declaration covering the last 36 months, together with supporting documents (e.g., residence registration/tax certificate, employment or study attestations).

For further information on eligibility criteria and on Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks in general, please refer to: Doctoral Networks - Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions.

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

The Faculty of Law is a broad-based faculty. Our community is characterized by an open and informal atmosphere and consists of approximately 4,500 students and 400 staff. We foster an environment that combines academic tradition and innovation, in a way that addresses national and international societal issues. Our research and teaching are groundbreaking, with special attention paid to current themes such as sustainability and energy, technological developments including AI, and the democratic rule of law. We prepare legal professionals to adopt a broad perspective, think critically, and adapt to a rapidly changing world. We place a strong emphasis on the development of both students and staff. We actively seek connection across legal fields and disciplines, and with partners within and outside academia. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Law, visit rug.nl/rechten. 

Department Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Public Administration

The PhD position is hosted by the Department of Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Public Administration. The department consists of over 50 enthusiastic colleagues who provide teaching and conduct research across the full breadth of constitutional law, administrative law, and public administration.

At our department, we adopt a multidisciplinary approach in our research and teaching. We have a strong focus on classical legal-dogmatic research and teaching, but we merge the legal perspective with insights from social sciences. We often explore the practical functioning of law by posing questions such as: How does law operate in real-world scenarios? By incorporating this social science perspective, we foster a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between law and society.

Groningen Graduate School of Law

In your doctoral research, under the supervision of your supervisors, you will conduct independent scientific research resulting in a dissertation. You will be accommodated at the Groningen Graduate School of Law (GGSL). The GGSL offers a training program to help carry out this research. Your training program will be tailored to your interests, and needs for development. During your appointment, you will publish and present (partial) results of your research in academic and professional journals and participate in academic activities and events, such as conferences and seminars.

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Marc Hertogh (Full Professor): M.L.M.Hertogh@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Marc Hertogh (Full Professor): M.L.M.Hertogh@rug.nl