One Doctoral Scholarship in Combination with a Position as Research Associate

Doctoral Scholarship

in combination with a position as Research Associate

at the Chair for Public Law and Public International Law (Thielbörger)

and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV)

Research Focus:

International Refugee and Migration Law / Human Rights of Asylum Seekers

Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) is one of Germany’s leading research universities and a campus university that uniquely covers the entire range of the major fields of humanities and sciences in one place. The interplay of different disciplines offers unique chances for interdisciplinary cooperation.

The Chair for Public Law and Public International Law and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) at RUB invites applications for a doctoral scholarship from the SYLFF association in combination with a position as research associate (5 h/week, 12.5 %) commencing on 1 August 2023 (total income per month: 1500 Euro). The duration of the scholarship and the position as research associate is for three years and the goal is to complete a doctoral thesis (PhD) in law by this time. Because of the unique combination of a doctoral scholarship, a position with few work hours and the integration within the SYLFF-Mikrokolleg “Forced Migration”, the conditions for a timely completion of the PhD are particularly favourable.

The IFHV is a central scientific institute at RUB located in the heart of the city of Bochum. With a strong international law focus, the IFHV engages in and advances interdisciplinary research and teaching in humanitarian studies with the participation of law, social sciences, geosciences and public health. You will have interesting and diverse responsibilities within an institute with many cooperation partners in- and outside of Germany.

Proposals for a doctoral thesis in law should focus on international, European or comparative public law. They may, but need not incorporate questions surrounding German public law. Proposals may deal with issues concerning the rights of forced migrants and refugees as well as the corresponding duties of the different actors involved. The examined actors can be States, international organisations (such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe or the International Criminal Court), NGOs or affected individuals. Projects may either address current legal developments or relevant fundamental questions (“Grundlagenforschung”).

If you are chosen for the fellowship, you will also be employed as research associate at the chair of Public Law and Public International Law and become a fellow of the SYLFF-Mikrokolleg “Forced Migration” at RUB’s graduate school, the RUB Research School. Together with other researchers from law and related disciplines, you will contribute to forced migration research at a high level.

Your responsibilities as research associate include:

• Supporting the chairholder’s research and teaching of public law and public international law, with a focus on the law of peace and armed conflict, human rights law and related fields.
• Independent teaching obligations at the IFHV’s master programs.

Your profile:

• Applicants should have completed a German legal state exam or comparable international studies with a focus on international law with above-average results. At the time of your application, you must have completed or be in the final phase of your studies, so that you are able to take up the position by 1 August 2023.
• An interest in (comparative) public law and/or public international law is welcome.
• You should be able to work in teams, flexibly and you should have shown previous organisational skills in the past.
• Strong written and oral skills in the English language. Knowledge of the German language or a willingness to acquire some knowledge of it is preferable. Proposals for a dissertation in English are preferred.

Please apply through the application form “Sylff-Kolleg Application Form 2023”, which can be found here. On the last page of this form, all required documents are listed (CV, University diploma(s) or degree certificate(s), research exposé (max. 5 pages), two letters of recommendation, certificates relating to your leadership activities (if applicable)). Please submit a single digital PDF file of your entire application via email to Dr. Sarah Gemicioglu (Sarah.Gemicioglu@rs.ruhr-uni-bochum.de). The deadline is 14 April 2023.

RUB is an equal-opportunity employer and seeks to enhance a fair gender distribution in all job categories and at all levels. RUB welcomes applications from female applicants and persons with a disability.

Further information on the institute and the chair is available at www.ifhv.de or by directly contacting Professor Pierre Thielbörger (pierre.thielboerger@rub.de) or the IFHV secretariat, Ms. Mortimer and Ms. Zastepinki (ifhv@rub.de). For questions concerning the SYLFF-Mikrokolleg “Forced Migration” in general, please contact Dr. Sarah Gemicioglu (Sarah.Gemicioglu@rs.ruhr-uni-bochum.de).