phd in international law netherlands

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Leiden Law School

Doctorate Study

Successful completion of the procedure to obtain a doctorate culminates in the conferral of the academic degree of Doctor in a specific subject.

In order to obtain a doctorate degree independent and original research must be carried out under the guidance of a supervisor and co-supervisor. This period of research generally takes 4 years in the case of a full-time appointment as a PhD student (doctoral candidate). The results of the research are presented in a doctoral thesis or dissertation.

The faculty has various categories of doctoral candidates: doctoral candidates who are employees and external doctoral candidates.

The doctoral candidates who are employees are divided into two categories:

• PhD Candidates (formerly known in Dutch as ‘assistenten in opleiding’ or AiOs ) , paid for with the first (government funded), second (research council funded) or third (contract funded) flow of funding, with a contract for four years in principle and with a teaching component of 10%;
• PhD Fellows , with a contract for six years in principle, and a teaching component of 30%.

External Doctoral Candidates are not employed by the faculty. The two most important categories are:   

• the contract doctoral candidates , who receive a grant from their country of origin to carry out full-time doctorate research;
• the external doctoral candidates , who write a doctoral thesis in their own time with guidance from a supervisor at the faculty.

In order to become an External PhD Candidate you should have a research proposal which fits within the research carried out in the research programmes of the faculty. 

A decision on an application for admission to the PhD programme can only be made on the basis of the completed and submitted online form  including the required attachments. The full application must include:

• a specific, innovative and fairly elaborate proposal;
• the name of a possible supervisor (professor) whose research interests and area of specialization fit your research proposal ( more information about research and potential supervisors );
• a completed master's degree which should be the equivalent of an LLM or masters degree obtained in the Netherlands including the corresponding list of grades;
• an English language test score of 100 (TOEFL) or 7.0 (IELTS), unless the candidate is a native speaker;
• at least one published article/chapter relevant to the field of the proposed research.

External PhD Candidates have to make their own arrangements for the funding of their research and living costs. External funding possibilities can be explored with your supervisor(s). Paid positions as employed PhD candidate at Leiden Law School are advertised .

Becoming an external PhD candidate at Leiden University in most cases does not involve paying a fee.

However, as of 1 April 2018 the International Institute of Air and Space Law ,  The Van Vollenhoven Institute  and the Grotius Center for International Legal Studies  offer PhD tracks (see below). Training  

PhD candidates, PhD fellows, contract doctoral candidates and external PhD candidates in a PhD track follow the Graduate School’s PhD Training programme . External PhD candidates do not follow the PhD Training programme. They only follow the mandatory course ‘ Scientific Conduct ’.

More Information

The PhD Training Programme . More questions about the PhD programme can be sent by mail to the Graduate School.

The exit qualifications for the PhD Training Programme are laid down in the university PhD Regulations.

It includes components such as methodology, research design, academic accountability and academic integrity. The training is composed primarily of the guidance provided by the supervisor and other co-supervisors.  In addition, the training includes an obligatory training requirement amounting to 840 hours.  The Graduate School’s training programme consists of three components: 1) research skills, 2) transferable skills, 3) individual part of the training programme.

1.  Research skills (at least 420 hours)

Out of the 840 hours in total, the Graduate School prescribed that half of the courses followed (420 hours) are aimed at acquirement and improvement of methodological knowledge and skills. There are only two courses within this category that are compulsory: Scientific Conduct (15 hours), and Data Management Training Leiden Law School  (28 hours). Compulsory courses can only be replaced (by other courses) in consultation with the dean of PhD studies. For the remaining hours, PhD researchers are free to choose any of courses offered by the Graduate School, but they can also take courses outside the Graduate School.

The Graduate School of Law currently offers the following courses: - Philosophy of Science for Lawyers (140 hours) - Legal Methodology (140 hours) - Qualitative Empirical Research Methods in Law (84-140 hours) - Quantitative Empirical Research Methods in Law (140 hours) - Scientific Conduct for PhDs in Law (15 hours) 2.   Transferable skills (at least 140 hours) According to the PhD Guidelines, at least 140 hours worth of courses of must be followed in the area of transferable skills. Examples include Project management for PhDs, Introduction to teaching for PhDs, Communication in science, Academics and (social) media, and Speed Reading. PhD researchers can make use of the offer within the University Training program PhDs' . All PhD researchers with teaching tasks should follow the course ‘introduction to teaching for PhDs’, or at least one of the 5 modules of the University Teaching Qualification (BKO).  3.  Individual part of the training PhD researchers can follow various training courses that benefit their personal development or that offer more in-depth substantive knowledge connected to the topic of their dissertation. Examples include courses from Master programs, language education (e.g., in relation to data collection abroad), Summer Schools, and conference participation.

As of 1 April 2018 the faculty has three so-called PhD tracks: at the Van Vollenhove Institute , the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies and the International Institute of Air and Space Law .

• All PhD candidates on a PhD track will participate on the obligatory training programme unless they have been granted an exemption by the PhD Dean.
• Together with the PhD Dean the department can develop a tailor-made training programme (“e-learning”) for exempted PhD track candidates.

Office space and travel allowance

All PhD candidates on a PhD track will in principle also get an office space and a travel allowance which can be necessary for the research or are fitting in the light of progress achieved.A different arrangement can be agreed upon at a preliminary stage.

• The standard fee is 10,000 euro a year with a maximum of four years.
• In the case of PhD candidates on a PhD track who are not entitled to office space and a travel allowance, an adjusted fee of 5,000 euro a year will apply with a maximum of four years.

Fee reduction

• Criteria for a fee reduction include: (1) a substantive connection, or other substantive synergies with existing research projects of the Centre/Department, which is obvious and which justifies the application of a reduction; (2) the candidate is of excellent quality; (3) financial need of the candidate.
• These criteria are applied cumulatively.
• If a reduction is awarded, the amount of the fee will be set at 2,500 euro a year with a maximum of four years.  

Most doctoral theses in the field of law are written in the form of a book, but they may also consist of a number of articles combined to form a coherent whole.  Once the supervisors have approved the dissertation, it is forwarded to a doctoral committee to be assessed. If the assessment of the doctoral committee is positive, the public defence of the doctoral thesis is scheduled.  The conferral of the doctorate degree entitles holders to use the title Doctor.

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PhD Research at ACIL

• Apply for a PhD position

Junior researchers 

• Teresa Vieira da Silva Cabrita The European Union as a Contributor to the Development of International Law in its Interactions with the United Nations International Law Commission
• Jackson Oldfield Smuggling in international law
• Lara Talsma The UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the EU’s external action: a critical legal analysis
• Roman Teshome The  Legal Protection  of  People  Affected  by  Development-induced Displacement:  Towards  a  Comprehensive  Human  Rights  Framework
• Wim Zimmermann Reputation and the Dynamics of Interpretation in International Law
• Debadatta Bose Liability of corporations for their distant human rights impacts: a relational justice inquiry

Junior Researchers Rethinking SLIC project

Three of ACIL's PhD students are jointly working on Prof. Göran Sluiter's Rethinking SLIC project:

• Jindan-Karena Mann Secondary tort liability for international crimes and serious human rights violations
• Joëlle Trampert Secondary state liability for international crimes and serious human rights violations
• Marc Tiernan Secondary criminal liability for international crimes and serious human rights violations

Junior researchers (external)

• Amr Arafa Reform of Egypt Foreign Direct Investment Programme
• Gustavo Becker Fulfilling the right to access remedy for victims of transnational business-related human rights violations: the role of non-judicial grievance mechanisms
• Jasper van Berckel Smit Strategic engagement with the Law in the context of Migration to the EU
• Heather Bray Historical analysis of private-public arbitration commissions as global regulatory governance mechanisms
• Evelyn Campos Sanchez Remedies in cases of aggravated international responsibility
• Horia Ciurtin (Not) Just a Matter of Jurisdiction: Territorial Narratives in International Investment Law
• Vladislav Djanic Beyond Dispute Resolution: A History of Governance through Private-Public Arbitration
• Cleo Hoetmer Strafbaarstelling van grensoverschrijdende mensenhandel (uitbuiting)
• Mark Klein ClimaHarmonization ahead! The road to common evidentiary standards in European criminal procedure
• Miguel Lopez Martinez Prioritizing Reparations for Massive and Gross Violations under International Law. A case study on the Implementation of the Legal Framework for Reparations in Colombia
• Nicolai von Maltitz The Documentation of Historical Facts in the Judgments of the International Criminal Court
• Maiko Meguro Creation of Legal Bindingness in International Law: Whose Voice Matters?
• Ivan Mugga How can the national implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in Uganda be made consistent with the long-term objective in Article 2 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
• Anne van Mulligen  The normativity of international law
• Shikegi Obi Legitimate  Expectations in Investment Law – When a host State’s modification of its legal framework constitutes a treaty violation: A comparative approach
• Pinar Palabiyik Rethinking the Socio-Economic and Cultural Dimensions of Humanitarian Crises in International Criminal Law
• Sean Stephenson Adherence, Divergence and Creation: The Application of Remedies in International Investment Law by International Tribunals
• Vessela Terzieva Victims of International Crimes in Domestic Proceedings: a Study on the Rights to Justice, Reparation, and Truth
• Katrine Tvede On the grid: patterns of norm diffusion in international arbitration
• William Worster A New Legal Framework for Diplomatic Assurances
• Hasan Yucel Responsibility of Transnational Corporations for Environmental Crimes

External Junior Researchers 'The Role of Law in Armed Conflict and Peace Operations'

• Ardan Folwaij The legality of military human performance in the military domain
• Raïssa van den Essen Targeting in Cyber Warfare: The Triangular Relation Between the Notions of ‘Attack’ (49 API), ‘Military Objectives’ (52 API) and ‘Collateral Damage’ (57 API) in Cyber Targeting Decisions
• Bas van Hoek Legal Oversight on the Use of Force in Military Operations; Dutch legal oversight procedures reviewed.
• Klaudia Klonowska Intra-actions of Human Judgment, AI Decision-Support Technologies, and International Law in Contemporary Military Decision-Making
• Jonathan Kwik Legal obligations attached to the incorporation of artificial intelligence into weapon systems under international humanitarian law
• Mark Roorda Unmanned weapon systems in military operations. An interdisciplinary normative framework: combining military operational, legal and ethical aspects in bounding the use of unmanned weapon systems in the targeting process
• Karoly Vegh The applicability of international human rights law for the conduct of extraterritorial information and influence operations by states
• Taylor Woodcock (Un)Lawful delegation of military conduct to artificial intelligence enabled technologies and a framework for compliance with international law

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Erasmus Graduate School of Law (EGSL)

The doctoral programme is provided by the  Erasmus Graduate School of Law   (EGSL). Our Graduate School recruits and selects national and international PhD students on the basis of quality and provides a thorough scientific doctoral programme that includes close collaboration with current research groups within Erasmus School of Law. Furthermore, the Graduate School boosts an international research environment, in which critical reflection, a multidisciplinary approach to the various legal disciplines and the exchange of ideas and experiences of junior and senior researchers play a significant role

To the website of EGSL .

European Doctorate in Law & Economics (EDLE)

The European Doctorate in Law & Economics (EDLE) is one of the largest doctorate programmes in the field. It is a joint doctoral programme by four of the leading European universities: the Universities of Bologna, Haifa, Hamburg and Rotterdam. The stipend-based programme aims at addressing a new class of outstanding PhD researchers from all over the world.

To the website of EDLE .

Marie Curie European Training Network ​​​​​​

Erasmus School of Law is part of the Marie Curie European Training Network on EU Trade and Investment Policy (EUTIP). Led by the University of Birmingham, the European consortium combines the expertise of eleven core beneficiaries and 22 partners, hosting and training fifteen Early Stage Researchers.

To the website of ITN EUTIP .

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Governance, Law and Social Justice PhD supervision

We welcome applications from PhD candidates interested in conducting research in line with the subject areas covered by the Governance, Law and Social Justice research group .

Take a look at the type of research conducted by our faculty and the PhD supervisions they are interested in. More information about the ISS PhD programme and how to apply can be found on the ISS PhD Programme page.

prof.mr.dr. (Karin) CJM Arts

• Full professor - International Institute of Social Studies

Research expertise

Professor Arts’s research interests span the broad realm of ‘international law and development’. She focuses on studying law as a major factor in processes of development and/or transition, either as an instrument of change or as a vehicle for guarding the status quo.

PhD supervision

Professor Arts has a long-standing experience in supervising PhD projects and in particular welcome PhD supervisions in the following themes:

• Broad realm of (international) law and (sustainable) development
• International human rights law, children’s rights, human/child rights-based approaches to development
• Climate change and human rights, and EU development cooperation.

dr. (Jeff) JD Handmaker

• Associate professor - International Institute of Social Studies

Associate Professor Jeff Handmaker is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand and in the School of Law, Leiden University. He conducts research on legal mobilization with his colleagues. They explore the potential of law to support progressive, rights-based structural change in a variety of contexts and themes. This includes a project at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Amsterdam, funded by the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW), around a Theme Group on Legal Mobilization: Analyzing Law-Based Advocacy . Also with others, Jeff Handmaker currently support a Legal Mobilization Platform that involves a wide consortium of scholars and practitioners.

Dr Handmaker’s long-time association with South Africa (and Southern Africa) is maintained through the position as a senior research fellow in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and as an Editor (formerly Editor-in-Chief) of the South African Journal on Human Rights. In addition to his academic work, he holds various ancillary positions, including the Advisory Board of the Public Interest Litigation Project (Amsterdam) and International Lawyers (Geneva).

Dr Handmaker has a long-standing experience in supervising PhD projects and, in particular, welcomes proposals from prospective candidates where his role in the supervision of the candidate would bring added value to the research project:

• Accountability for international crimes and the (lack of) protection for refugees and other migrants (in South Africa, the Netherlands, broader Europe, and elsewhere)
• Legal mobilization taking a wide range of legitimate, law-based forms and includes, but by no means limited to, strategic litigation.

prof.dr.ir. (Thea) DJM Hilhorst

Professor Hilhorst mainly focuses on aid-society relations: studying how aid is embedded in the context, impacts governments, and society, and is shaped by the various actions of actors in and around programs for protection, service delivery, and capacity development. She specializes in the intersections of humanitarianism with development, peacebuilding, and gender relations.

Professor Hilhorst's research programs have taken place in disaster, conflict, and fragility settings, including Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka. Currently, her main research program concerns humanitarian governance: accountability, advocacy, and alternatives. She also recently completed a program on 'when conflict meets disaster' that studied disaster governance in high-conflict, low-conflict, and post-conflict societies.

Professor Hilhorst has supervised 32 PhD candidates (9 ongoing and 23 completed) and welcomes PhD candidates work on these topics in different areas of the world:

• Nexus between peace building and humanitarianism
• New forms of disaster governance or what to do when disaster happens in the midst of conflict

  See her website for more details of her work

prof.dr. (Wil) W Hout

Professor Hout’s research interests are related to issues in the political economy of governance and development, as well as on aspects of international cooperation (mainly development assistance policies and regionalism). He has also worked on governance issues in Suriname and Uganda.

Professor Hout welcomes PhD supervisors wishing to focus on the following themes:

• Political economy dimensions of governance and development
• Questions related to international cooperation and regionalism

dr. (Shyamika) SMS Jayasundara - Smits

• Assistant professor - International Institute of Social Studies

Assistant Professor Jayasundara-Smits research interests broadly cover the inter-connections of violent conflict and development. More specifically, she is interested in issues and topics such as armed Conflicts, Post-War Transitions, Foreign and Security Policy, Politics, state-building and security governance. Her main geographical areas of research are Asia, Sri Lanka in particular and Europe.

Dr Jayasundara-Smits is interested in supervising PhD and post-doctoral research projects on the above-mentioned subject areas and specifically on the following themes:

• Dynamics of armed conflicts (civil and inter-state wars)
• Challenges for post-war transitions
• European Union's foreign and security policy towards armed conflicts and post-war transitions
• Visual politics of war, peace and violence

dr. (Zeynep) Z Kasli

Assistant Professor Kasli is an interdisciplinary scholar with research and teaching experience that transcend the disciplinary boundaries between political science, sociology, geography and socio-legal studies, with a thematic focus on mobility, migration and citizenship, and a regional expertise on Turkey, MENA and Europe.

Dr Kasli welcomes PhD students interested in any of the broad areas of research described above and with interest in incorporating transdisciplinary approaches and multiple methods in their research:

• The interplay between border, migration and citizenship regimes
• Extraterritorial state power, transnational ties and diaspora politics
• Politics and policies of diversity indifferent urban contexts and cross-border regions
• Legal consciousness, mobilization and framing with a focus on migrants’ and minority rights
• Urban borderscapes are embedded in a global and transnational political field of power from a decolonial and degrowth perspective

dr. (Karim) MKA Kniou

Associate Professor Karim Kniou’s research interests focus on the political economy of governance with an emphasis on EU-Mediterranean relations , varieties of capitalism, institutional analyses, politics of crisis management and political ontology. He also has research interests related to politics of gas, EU democracy promotion programs and Lebanese politics. He is the author of The European Union’s Mediterranean Policy: Model or Muddle? A New Institutionalist Perspective (Palgrave Macmillan 2013), and The South China Sea and Asian Regionalism: A Critical Realist perspective-with Thanh Dam Truong (Springer 2016).

Dr Kniou is interested in supervising PhD candidates who wish to focus on following themes:

• Institutional analyses, varieties of capitalism(s)
• The political economy of crisis and learning
• Neoliberalization processes
• Politics of social ontology
• Euro-Mediterranean and Middle Eastern politics

dr. (Rodrigo) R Mena Fluhmann

Assistant Professor Rodrigo Mena’s research agenda currently focuses on the changes that the humanitarian aid and disaster sectors are undergoing considering the compound effects and challenges of climate change, protracted crises, and displacement. He is also interested in the ethical, safety and security aspects of research (remote, in-situ/fieldwork and desk research), and how these aspects translate into methodological practices.

Dr Mena welcome PhD researchers interested in researching:

• Humanitarian aid and disaster risk reduction, particularly in relation to the topics mentioned above
• Understanding the processes of disaster risk creation (DRC) vis-à-vis disaster risk reduction (DRR)
• The role and use of technology in humanitarian aid and disaster governance (response and prevention)
• The development, humanitarian, and peace/peacebuilding nexus
• The relationship between conflict, disasters and humanitarian aid

dr. (Farhad) F Mukhtarov

Dr Mukhtarov is specialized in interpretive policy analysis and environmental policy. He is fascinated by the politics of knowledge, problem framing, knowledge pluralism, and the role of context in shaping (environmental) policy. Farhad studies the intersection of public policy and the environment in the context of international development. Broadly speaking, he is interested in understanding the role of knowledge in politics, especially in a transnational context where global policy ideas penetrate national and local policy practices.

Dr Mukhtarov is open to opportunities to supervise PhD researchers whose topics falls within one or more of the following broad themes:

• Policy Mobility, Translation and Discourses - Policy ideas and models travel across various borders (often from Global North to Global South). By focusing on policy practices, documents and meeting this process can be made intelligible.
• Knowledge Pluralism and Policy (Institutional) Design - Projects that are interested in how policy-makers and public managers can make use of multiple ways of knowing in public policy and governance. Scientific knowledge is one type of knowledge, there is indigenous knowledge, knowledge based on rituals, practices, and values. They all are valuable and need to be included in the policy-making process. The big question is how.
• Behavioural Approaches to Public Policy - Projects that are interested in the role of emotions and nudging in changing environmental (as well as policy) attitudes and promoting sustainable public policies. The research approaches emotions and behavioural science from a public policy perspective and asks questions about the transition to sustainability through the so-called 'libertarian paternalism'

Global Water Governance and Neo-liberalism - The rise of neo-liberalism in international aid, aid and trade and, arguably, global water governance, raises serious issues around effectiveness, equity, fairness and power relations that need to be researched and critically discussed. Within this line of inquiry, the research will seek to understand the role of branding, networking and soft-power leveraging in the global field of water governance

dr. (Jojo) JT Nem Singh

Dr Nem Singh's research falls into four main areas of inquiry:

• political economy of industrial policy and development planning in the global south
• politics and governance of natural resources
• citizenship and social movements perspectives on democratization
• the developmental consequences of China’s engagement with the global South

Dr Nem Singh welcomes post-doctoral fellows and PhD students interested in the following themes:

• Political economy of natural resources
• Protest politics and citizenship in Latin America and Asia
• Critical approaches to the green technological transition

dr. (Sunil) S Tankha

Dr Tankha's research focuses on development policies and governance, in particular on issues related to infrastructure (electric power and water) and public sector management. He combines research with policy advice, symbiotically generating data and ideas which can help policymakers approach wicked problems with more nuanced approaches. He has worked intensively on four continents, and has substantial country experience in Brazil, Georgia, India, Netherlands, and the United States.

Dr Tankha is interested in supervising PhD researchers who wish to focus on the following themes:

• Development policy and public sector management
• Infrastructure development (electric power and water & sanitation)
• Privatization and regulation
• Governance of climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries

dr. (Nanneke) SWS Winters

Assistant Professor Nanneke Winters’s ethnographic work has evolved around the role and experience of im/mobility in people’s lives, in Central America and elsewhere. More specifically, she has focused on families’ cross-border labour and carework; migrant trajectories and illegalization; and the interplay between displacement and emplacement. Theoretically and methodologically, she builds on anthropology, feminist geography and critical development studies.

Dr Winters welcomes PhD students with an interest to work on the following themes:

• Issues related to migration, im/mobility and development
• Transnational families and translocal livelihoods
• Migration industries and migrant trajectories
• Borders and border communities
• Displacement and place-making; and ‘Othering’

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• PhD Study in the Netherlands - A Guide for 2024

Written by Chris Banyard

The Netherlands has one of the most prestigious university systems in Europe. It’s also a country that has developed and shared rich traditions of artistic, cultural and scientific achievement.

PhD study abroad in the Netherlands is a popular choice for those looking to tap into this culture of open-mindedness, innovation and international exchange of ideas. The country’s multilingual population also means that most of its doctoral programmes are taught in English.

This page covers everything you’ll need to know about doctoral research in the Netherlands. It includes important up-to-date information about the Dutch university system and the structure of a typical Dutch PhD programme. We've also covered key facts on tuition fees, funding and visa requirements.

Why study a PhD in Netherlands?

Universities in the Netherlands have an impressive reputation.. The Dutch university system dates back to the 16th century and boasts many famous artists, thinkers and scientists.

Doctoral researchers are highly regarded by Dutch universities. Keen to attract talent from around the world, they offer many benefits for international students.

• Employee status – most PhD students in the Netherlands are paid a salary as university employees
• International student population – the Netherlands has a proud tradition of international exchange, with around 10% of students coming from abroad
• Historic university system – the Netherlands has several universities dating back to the 16th century
• Global recognition – Dutch universities consistently rank in the top 200 in global rankings.

In addition, Holland is the only country in which PhD students defend their thesis accompanied by ceremonial bodyguards (no, really).

*Most PhD researchers are paid employees and do not pay traditional tuition fees

Pick the right programme for you

There are lots of choices, let us help you to make the right one. Sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest advice and guidance from our team of experts.

Where can you study a PhD in Netherlands?

There are three main types of higher education institution in the Netherlands. As a PhD student you’re most likely to be studying at a Dutch research university , but the three categories are as follows:

• Research universities are the main academic institutions for PhD-level research. They have advanced facilities and expert faculty available to train doctoral students
• Universities of applied sciences or HBO institutions ( hogescholen ) specialise in practical Arts and Sciences. They do not offer PhD programmes
• Institutes for international education are designed specifically for international students, and focus on intercultural knowledge exchange. Currently, only the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education offers a PhD programme

Although Dutch PhD programmes are offered by research universities, your study will take place in either:

• dedicated Graduate Schools (associated with an individual university) or
• Research Schools (often formed by a consortium of institutions to pursue ongoing projects and areas of investigation).

Dutch university cities

There are several cities in the Netherlands with one or more universities and large numbers of students:

• Study in Amsterdam
• Study in Delft
• Study in Eindhoven
• Study in Groningen
• Study in Leiden
• Study in Nijmegen
• Study in Rotterdam
• Study in Tilburg
• Study in Wageningen

Dutch university rankings

The university system in the Netherlands is highly regarded worldwide. Its universities are found in the upper reaches of the three major university world rankings, with over 10 in the top 200 for 2020/21.

Do rankings matter for PhD study?

University rankings can help you choose a PhD project or programme, provided you know what to look at. Our guide explains how to use rankings as a prospective postgraduate.

Structure of a PhD in Netherlands

A doctoral programme in the Netherlands is a third-cycle qualification, as defined by the Bologna process . As in the UK, Dutch doctoral research focuses on a specific topic and documented in the form of a thesis that presents the student’s original results and conclusions.

Employee status

Most PhD candidates are employed as professional researchers . This means you'll be paid a salary during your doctorate. In return, you will have various duties as a researcher and will need to contribute to your institution’s academic work and operations. This is likely to involve teaching responsibilities as well as other responsibilities.

A Dutch PhD lasts for a minimum of four years . This is partly due to your employee status as a doctoral researcher and the additional teaching and administrative responsibilities that this entails.

Doctoral researchers that are not formally associated with a university (i.e. external doctoral candidates) may take longer to complete their studies.

Supervision

Your research will be overseen by an expert supervisor. They will also need to approve your final thesis for submission.

Depending on the structure of your programme, your supervision may involve regular progress checks and formal review points. You may also have a co-supervisor.

Provisional supervision

Unlike in other countries, a Dutch PhD supervisor’s position is technically provisional for most of your doctorate. They are only officially appointed before the ceremonial viva defence, where they will play a key role.

PhD defence ceremony

A unique aspect of the Dutch PhD is the ceremonial thesis defence . This serves a similar purpose to the UK viva voce examination. However, it is a much more ceremonial process and can be quite different to other PhD assessments.

All participants, including yourself, will be required to wear full academic dress and use formal titles and terms of address. The ceremony is opened and closed by an officer of the university, called the beadle (or pedel ) using a ceremonial mace. You can also be accompanied by two supporters ( paranimfen ). Traditionally, these acted as bodyguards if things got heated! Nowadays, they are there to provide moral support and practical assistance.

During the thesis defence, you will be assessed by an appointed Doctoral Committee of at least three academics. They will determine whether your thesis is worthy of a doctorate. These may include a professor, known as a ‘most learned opponent’ ( hoggeleerde opponent ), or a post-doctorate academic, known as a ‘learned opponent’ ( zeergeleerde opponent ). You could also be asked questions by other invited individuals.

The defence process is mostly ceremonial. The committee will have already read your thesis, and most likely, come to a decision on awarding your doctorate.

PhD candidates are normally expected to have published at least a part of their thesis before submission.

Accreditation

Dutch PhD degrees are awarded directly by each individual university. The universities are responsible for the quality and content of your doctoral training. However, quality assurance for the PhD process is overseen by The Netherlands and Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO).

Fees and funding for a PhD in Netherlands

Since PhD students are paid employees, many Dutch doctoral programmes do not have tuition fees. Where they are required, PhD tuition fees in the Netherlands are generally comparable to those across the rest of the EU. The fees remain the same for EU / EEA and Swiss-national students. There are also many PhD funding opportunities available for international students.

Dutch PhD tuition fees

Most PhD students in the Netherlands are university employees , and receive a salary to fund their research. This means there are no traditional tuition fees for doctoral candidates or doctoral fellows.

However, there are other types of doctoral candidates that may not be considered as university employees. These are:

• contract doctoral research associates who have their research sponsored by an external source (such as a scholarship or employer)
• external doctoral candidates who are self-funded and work on their PhD research in their free time

These PhD students will usually have to pay some form of tuition fee. The specific amount can vary and depending on the research institution, the research itself, and the length of study.

Regardless of whether you have employee status or not, you may still need to pay statutory fees . These cover supplementary costs for supervision, examination, administration and university access. Amounts can vary depending on your university and discipline.

Dutch PhD funding

A selection of scholarships for PhD degrees are available. The following are good places to look for further information:

• Nuffic – The Dutch Organisation for Internationalisation in Education
• Study in Holland – an initiative of Nuffic
• Euraxess – an organisation that promotes academic mobility in Europe

Individual universities also offer funding options for their students. You can find what PhD funding is available on their websites.

PhD funding in the Netherlands

Our guide to PhD funding in the Netherlands has more information on scholarships and other options for international research students in Holland.

Applying for a PhD in the Netherlands

The PhD application process in the Netherlands is similar to the process in the UK but can differ in some key ways. Most applicants will either apply for an advertised PhD or propose their own project through a research proposal . You can find information on contact details by browsing PhDs in the Netherlands , or by visiting university websites directly. Because PhD candidates are employed doctoral researchers, you may also find PhD positions listed as jobs.

Admission requirements

In the Netherlands, a standard requirement for PhD admission is holding a Masters degree in a relevant subject area.

The Netherlands is a member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This means it readily recognises Masters degrees from other European countries. Many equivalent foreign qualifications may also be recognised. You can check your degree equivalency at Nuffic (The Dutch Organisation for Internationalisation in Education) or at your prospective university’s website.

Additional entry requirements can vary depending on your university and discipline. Due to the status of Dutch PhD researchers as university employees, you may also be required to undergo additional application processes and submit more application documents than a typical PhD student. These could include a personal statement , CV , and strong academic and / or professional references .

PhD entry requirements

The general eligibility criteria for PhD applications in the Netherlands is similar to most other countries in the EU. Our guide explains entry requirements for a prospective PhD student .

Language requirements

Most PhD programmes in the Netherlands are taught in English. Non-native English speakers will be need satisfactory scores in English language tests . The typical scores required are below.

It is also possible to study a PhD programme taught in Dutch. In this case, you may be required to present satisfactory scores of Dutch language tests . Even if your studies are in English, it may be helpful to learn some Dutch! This will simplify daily life and communication with fellow Dutch researchers.

Application process

The Dutch academic year runs from September to August. The application deadline for most study programmes is 1 May. However, because PhD programmes are less dependent on coursework and exams, the application deadlines are usually flexible. You should check the application for your chosen course with your university.

Some university degree applications are made through the Dutch higher education portal Studielink . This is similar to the UCAS system for UK undergraduate students. The platform can also arrange the payment of tuition fees.

However, for many PhD programmes you will need to apply directly to your prospective university. The application process can differ depending on the specific research institution. You should always check the application procedure on the university’s website.

Applying for a PhD

PhD applications in the Netherlands will require additional application documents and processes. These are similar to those in the UK. Our guide explains PhD applications for a prospective PhD student.

Student visas for a PhD in Netherlands

The Netherlands is a multicultural, cosmopolitan country that welcomes immigration applications from a range of countries. Students from elsewhere in the EU and EEA won’t normally need a visa to study at Dutch universities. Other international students will normally need to arrange entry visas and study permits.

If you do require a visa, your university will need to support your application. They should contact you to assist with this once you have enrolled. If this is not the case, you can contact your host institution’s HR department and / or international office for relevant information.

Visa information for UK students in the Netherlands

UK students will no longer be EU citizens from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. This means you may be considered an international student when studying in the Netherlands. You may be subject to different visa requirements and fee rates, unless otherwise stated.

Applying for an entry visa

If you are an EU / EEA / Swiss national, you will not require a visa for PhD study in the Netherlands. You can freely enter and leave the country and travel during your degree. Citizens of some selected other countries may also be exempt from requiring a visa. A full list is available from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Other international students will require a long-stay entry visa (MVV). Your university will usually apply for this on your behalf. You'll be able to collect it from a Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your home country before you travel. Depending on the specific conditions of your visa, you may be restricted to travel within the Netherlands, neighbouring countries (e.g. Belgium and France) or most European countries.

Applying for a residence permit

EU / EEA and Swiss citizens do not require a residence permit to study in the Netherlands, and do not need to report to the IND.

Other international students need to apply for a Provisional Residence Permit for study (VVR) from the IND. The application and its costs are usually competed by your university on your behalf. You will be able to collect it from a Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your home country before you travel. The residence permit is valid for the duration of your doctoral programme plus three months, for a maximum of five years. However, you can apply for an extension.

Registration with the local Dutch council

All foreign students, including EU nationals , must register with the local Dutch council of residence upon arrival in the country. The exact regulations can vary with different councils. You will be registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP) and given a Citizen Service Number (BSN) by the IND. You will normally need to present proof of identity (passport and certified copy of your birth certificate) and a record of your accommodation in the Netherlands.

EU / EEA / Swiss students will do this after registration with the IND by their university. Other international students will need to do so after receiving their entry visa and residence permit.

PhD life in the Netherlands

Want to know more about what it's like to live in the Netherlands during a PhD? Our detailed guide covers everything from living costs to culture and entertainment.

Health Insurance

To study in the Netherlands, by law you must have health insurance for the duration of your PhD.

EU / EEA students will normally be covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to healthcare in the Netherlands.

Non-EU / EEA students will either need to be insured with a provider in their home country (that is valid in the Netherlands) or take out private international health insurance. International students from some countries may need to take a medical test for tuberculosis (TB). This must undertaken with the Area Health Authority (GGD) within three months of receiving a residence permit. More information is available from the IND.

Travel document validity

The above documentation is only valid while you're doing your PhD. If you discontinue your programme, you'll need to apply for updated documents.

The Netherlands holds the research performed by its universities in high regard. Its academics have an excellent track record in world research. As a doctoral graduate from a Dutch university you’ll be a very employable researcher.

A Dutch PhD also provides professional experience of working more formally within higher education. Receiving your PhD in the Netherlands is an impressive academic qualification and an excellent gateway into further academic research.

Many Dutch research universities also have strong links with business and industry, offering additional professional training and partnerships.

Can I work in the Netherlands after my PhD?

EU / EEA and Swiss nationals do not require a residence permit or work permit (TWV) to work in the Netherlands after doctoral study – a valid passport or ID card is sufficient. You will need to maintain your residence registration.

Other international students will need to apply for an Orientation Year residence permit . To do so, you must be registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP), have a Citizen Service Number (BSN). There is a fee of €174. To remain in the country for more than one year, you can apply for a longer term residence with the Netherlands’ Highly Skilled Migrant Permit .

Find a PhD in the Netherlands

Ready to start browsing some current PhD opportunities in the Netherlands ? Alternatively, you can look at our other guides to PhD study abroad .

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

You may also like....

The Netherlands can be an affordable place for PhD study. The page will take you through all the information you need about PhD funding in the Netherlands.

Interested in studying your PhD in the Netherlands? In this guide we've collected some of the global university rankings to help you decide the best university to study at in Holland.

Read about the language requirements and recognised tests for PhD study at Dutch-speaking universities in the Netherlands and elsewhere..

What's it like to live in the Netherlands during a PhD? Our guide covers accommodation, student living costs, working and other key information.

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ACTL PhD programme

Amsterdam Centre for Tax Law

Internal and external PhD research For information on admission as a PhD Candidate at Amsterdam Law School see: Registration and admissions procedure - University of Amsterdam (uva.nl) .

All internal openings within ACTL will be published on the ACTL’s website.

Should you consider to apply as an external candidate within ACTL, please send an email to [email protected] including a research proposal, CV and list of publications.

Please note that this procedure should be considered as part of step 1 in the PhD acceptance procedure for Amsterdam Law School. See for more information: How to apply for External PhD candidates - University of Amsterdam (uva.nl)

Internal PhD researchers (students/fellows)

• Anya Vvedenskaya
• Juan Manuel Vazquez

External PhD researchers

• - Reinout de Boer
• - Mats Cornelisse
• - Ine Lejeune
• - Elise Okhuizen
• - Natalia Quiñones
• - Max Velthoven
• - Clark Warren
• - Martijn Weijers

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Doctoral Scholarships

The Academy offers  so-called doctoral scholarships to nationals of non-member States of the OECD, residing in their own country, who are expected to defend their theses before December 31st of the year following the granting of the scholarship. The selected beneficiaries will be able to finalize their research and work on their theses at the Peace Palace Library during the months of July and August, and partially attend the Summer Courses.

Applicants must submit:

• A letter of motivation including a sworn statement indicating that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the thesis is indeed in the process of being completed, as well as a recommendation letter from their supervisor confirming this;
• A memo detailing the exact topic of the thesis and its general outline.

Further requirements:

• Good knowledge of English or French;
• Candidates must not previously have been granted a doctoral scholarship by the Academy.

Period: 8 weeks (1 July – 1 September 2024)

Scholarships are in the amount of €2250 (€35 per day) + half of the traveling expenses, up to a maximum of €910.

All doctoral scholarship applications for summer 2024 must be submitted before January 31st 2024, 23:59 hrs. The Hague time (GMT+1).

• The Academy will verify that the recipients of the doctoral scholarships effectively reside in The Hague for a period of 2 months without interruption and that they use the Peace Palace Library’s Reading Room and resources on a regular basis;
• Scholarship holders are allowed to attend the General Course as well as any Special Course directly related to their thesis topic;
• Since the purpose of the doctoral scholarship is to focus on the thesis, scholarship holders aren’t allowed to simultaneously participate in the Directed Studies sessions;
• A certificate of attendance will be issued to all scholarship holders who will have proven to have worked at the library on a regular basis.

Obtaining a PhD

The faculty employs PhD students on an individual basis. They write a PhD dissertation under tutorship of a professor in the applicable Law or Criminology subject. All PhD students (internal and external) in the Faculty of Law participate in one of the  research programmes  of the faculty and are automatically enrolled into the  Graduate School . A full-time PhD programme takes four years and consists of conducting research and writing a dissertation independently. The recruitment of PhD students is done by actively approaching students and through advertisement on the website of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

For more information on obtaining a PhD, please contact the  Graduate School .

External PhD candidates

Externa phd candidates.

If your research proposal is of outstanding quality and will contribute to one of the research programmes, it is possible to write a thesis at your own expense under tutorship of a faculty professor. As an external PhD candidate you are not officially a VU Amsterdam employee or student. External PhDs candidates undertake a PhD at VU Amsterdam with a (foreign) funding or scholarship scheme, or are self funded professionals or students. External PhD candidates should formally request admission through our online application portal.

Doctorate regulations

The  Doctorate Regulations  of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam officially establish the rules to which the PhD track is bound. These regulations are applicable to all individuals conducting PhD research under the supervision of a VU-based promoter and intend to defend their thesis at VU Amsterdam. The regulations include:

• Steps a PhD candidate must take to be admitted to the PhD tract;
• The 30 EC PhD  training requirements ;
• Conditions regarding the (number of) supervisors;
• Composition of the Thesis Committee;
• Final terms for acquiring a PhD;
• Requirements for  cum laude  award;
• Procedure concerning double degrees and joint doctorates.

Thesis Directive At the Faculty of Law it is possible to acquire your PhD on the basis of a scientific monograph, or a collection of separate articles. In both cases, the guideline for the size of the thesis is a maximum of 300 pp. (100.000 words). For candidates attaining their PhD on the basis of articles, there are a number of additional requirements. You can read more about these requirements in the  Thesis Directive .

PhD Programme at VU Amsterdam See additional and general information on doing a  PhD programme on the VU Amsterdam website .

Contact us (Manon Mulders)

[email protected]

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PhD candidates come in all shapes and sizes, from those with an appointment at the University to dual PhDs who have a job outside the University. Here we explain which PhD places we have at Leiden University, so you can quickly see which type suits you.

Funded PhD candidates

The University may appoint full or part-time PhD candidates. Most PhD candidates have a funded place as a PhD candidate. A full-time place is in principle a four-year appointment with 10% teaching duties. PhD candidates sometimes choose to do a cotutelle or joint doctorate . You can also be appointed as a PhD fellow. This is a six-year appointment with 35% teaching duties.

See our job vacancies for PhD candidates

PhDs without a funded place

Contract PhDs receive a grant in their country of origin, which enables them to conduct PhD research at our university. External PhDs or dual PhDs do not receive any funding in principle. They write their thesis – often alongside their regular work – under the supervision of a supervisor from Leiden. To be accepted as an external PhD, you must have your PhD proposal approved by a Graduate School . The University also has a dual PhD programme to give experienced ‘knowledge workers’ the opportunity to earn a PhD at Leiden University.

The faculty has various categories of doctoral candidates.

Doctoral candidates who are employees

The majority of doctoral candidates are appointed as a PhD Candidate. This appointment is for a period of four years, during which time, besides performing doctoral research, training courses are followed as part of the PhD Training Programme. Most PhD Candidates also have a minor teaching component (maximum 10% of the total period).

Appointment

PhD Candidates are initially appointed for one year, with the possibility to extend this by three years. Within three months of the commencement of the appointment, the PhD Candidate draws up a personal Training en Supervision Plan (TSP) in consultation with the designated supervisor and the Deans of PhD Studies . In the TSP the individual doctoral timeline is set out in detail. This will include, for instance, training courses to be followed to assist in the research.

Evaluation Meeting

Towards the end of the first year an evaluation meeting is held.  The progress of the research is reviewed by a committee including the supervisor, co-supervisor, an external member and the  Dean of PhD Studies, on the basis of the research proposal and a chapter of the dissertation or article. The teaching done and participation on the PhD Training Programme are also reviewed.

More Information

General information about doctoral studies, doctoral theses and the PhD Training Programme can be found in the Rules and Policies .

A PhD Fellow is not just a PhD Candidate, but also has a substantial teaching component amounting to around 35% of the total period. In addition, the courses in the PhD Training Programme are followed. Since the position of PhD Fellow encompasses more tasks than research alone, the appointment is for six years.

A PhD Fellow is appointed for six years, with the possibility to terminate the contract in the intermediate period. Within three months of the commencement of the appointment, the PhD Fellow draws up an individual Training en Supervision Plan (TSP) in consultation with the supervisor and Deans of PhD Studies . In the TSP, the individual PhD timeline is structured. This includes which courses will be followed to assist in the research.

After around one and a half years an evaluation meeting is held. The progress of the research is reviewed by a committee including the supervisor, co-supervisor, an external member and the  Dean of PhD Studies, on the basis of the research proposal and a chapter of the dissertation or article. The teaching done and participation on the PhD Training Programme is also reviewed.

Information about the position of PhD Fellows can be found under Rules and Policies for PhD fellows.

External doctoral candidates

The main task of a Contract PhD Candidate is to carry out doctoral research. This is done with funding from the government of the country of origin.

In general, the duration of the doctoral research is four years. Although a Contract PhD Candidate does not have an appointment at the faculty, the position is equal to appointed PhD Candidates when it comes to training, monitoring of progress and other work conditions (such as workplace, ICT facilities  etc.).

Towards the end of the first year an evaluation meeting is held. At this meeting a committee comprising the supervisor, co-supervisor, external member and Deans of PhD Studies reviews the progress of the research based on the research plan and a chapter of the dissertation or an article. The participation on the PhD Training Programme is also reviewed. 

Information about the position of Contract PhD Candidates can be found under Rules and Policies for Contract PhD Candidates.

Leiden Law School also offers the possibility of pursuing a (non-funded) ‘external’ PhD within the Graduate School of Legal Research. Applications for these positions are accepted throughout the year.

Application Procedure

In order to become an External PhD Candidate you should have a research proposal which fits within the research carried out in the research programmes of the faculty.  A decision on an application for admission to the PhD programme can only be made on the basis of the completed and submitted online form  including the required attachments. The full application must include:

• a specific, innovative and fairly elaborate proposal;
• the name of a possible supervisor (professor) whose research interests and area of specialization fit your research proposal ( more information about research and potential supervisors );
• a completed Master-degree which should be the equivalent of a LL.M. or Master degree obtained in The Netherlands including the corresponding list of grades;
• an English language test score of 100 (TOEFL) or 7.0 (IELTS), unless the candidate is a native speaker;
• at least one published article/chapter relevant to the field of the proposed research.

External PhD Candidates have to make their own arrangements for the funding of their research and living costs. External funding possibilities can be explored with your supervisor(s). Paid positions as employed PhD candidate at Leiden Law School are advertised at https://vacancies.leiden.edu .

Until now, becoming an external PhD candidate at Leiden University in most cases does not involve paying a fee.

However, some subdepartments which offer a PhD-track charge a fee: see for example the  International Institute of Air and Space Law ,  The Van Vollenhoven Institute  and the Grotius Center for International Legal Studies ).

Studying for a PhD.

More questions about the PhD programme can be sent by mail to the Graduate School.

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How to apply for External PhD candidates

Application and admissions procedure, exemption from programme requirement, request for admission to the phd programme, tuition fee, 1. finding a (principal) supervisor.

No recruitment of External PhD candidates generally takes place. If you have a specific topic in mind and would like to purse a PhD in it (as an external candidate), you must in most cases write a research proposal and seek contact with a professor you deem suitable to supervise your PhD research.

More information and contact details of the various research groups, and professors

2. Submitting a proposal to the Admissions Board

Once you have found a professor willing to supervise your research using one of the aforementioned methods, you may submit a request for admission to the PhD Admissions Board through this application form . This must include, at minimum:

• A cover letter
• A research proposal (max. 5 pages excl. bibliography) – use this format to draft your proposal
• A previously written paper
• Names and contact details of two (academic) referees
• A brief description of current professional responsibilities and the extent to which this will allow sufficient time to initiate and complete the PhD research within a period of, in principle, 6 years.

Additionally, your supervisors will have to fill out an endorsement form  and submit this to [email protected] before the deadline.

The PhD Admissions Board reviews requests for admission two times a year. For a request to be reviewed in October, it must be received no later than 1 October . For March requests, the deadline is 1 March .

3. Selection and provisional admission

Requests are reviewed based on the following criteria:

• whether the PhD candidate can be embedded in a research group
• the track record of the supervisors
• the quality and viability of the research proposal

A favourable recommendation by the selection committee results in provisional admission to the PhD Programme in Law.

4. Definitive admission

Provisional admission only becomes definitive once you have been admitted by the UvA Doctorate Board ( College voor Promoties , or CVP). This is essentially an administrative procedure that can only be started once you have received your conditional admission decision. To be admitted, you must submit a request for admission . If you are not in possession of a Netherlands Master’s degree (or an old-style initial university degree), you will need to request an exemption from that programme requirement before submitting a request for admission.

This procedure only needs to be followed if you are not in possession of a Netherlands Master’s degree (or an old-style initial university degree). Incidentally, it makes no difference whether this is a law or a non-law degree.

The first step involves performing a “quick scan” for which the PhD Secretariat needs the following documents.

• Completed online form Request for exemption from the legal educational requirement
• Copies of all academic diplomas received
• Copies of a list of marks or a list of programme components for those diplomas. A certified translation by the educational institution or a sworn translator must be also be submitted for documents in languages other than Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish or Italian.
• Copy of passport or ID-card (front and back)

A favourable recommendation following the “quick scan” results in an immediate decision to grant exemption, provided that certified copies of the aforementioned diplomas and lists of marks have been submitted. This assessment can take 2 to 4 weeks. If non-certified copies have been submitted, the secretariat of the Doctorate Board will once again invite you to provide certified copies, or make an appointment so that you can present the originals. You may submit your request for admission once you have been notified of a decision to grant exemption.

For provisional admission to become definitive, you will need to submit a request for admission to the CVP. The following documents must be provided to the PhD Secretariat:

• Completed online form Request for admission to the doctoral programme with original signatures of candidate and (co-) supervisors (signature copies not accepted)
• Certified copy of Netherlands Master’s diploma or initial university degree diploma OR exemption decision. If you are not in possession of certified copies of your Netherlands diploma, you can make an appointment with the PhD secretariat to present the original in person.
• Copy of passport or ID-card (front and back) UNLESS an exemption decision is also attached.

The PhD Secretariat procures the signature of the Dean and then forwards your application to the Doctorate Board. An admissions decision is taken within 2 to 4 weeks, which, if favourable, results in your provisional admission becoming definitive.

Researchers with a scholarship, externally financed PhDs, external PhDs / doctoral candidates who have been appointed at the Faculty of Law on or after 1st January 2023 pay an annual tuition fee. The tuition fee rate in 2023 is € 2.000 per year. New rates will be determined every year. The fee is for use of the research facilities, supervision and training. If the PhD student is unable to pay the fee, the research group may decide to pay the fee.

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Public International Law

3 Tracks to choose from within this Master's Programme

6th time in a row one of our graduates won the François Prize for the best Dutch PIL Master's thesis

This Master’s programme in Public International Law (PIL) will equip you with a broad range of legal tools to address current legal concerns facing the world. PIL is a flexible programme that offers you many options, both during your study period and in your career possibilities post-graduation. As an added benefit, the international mix of students in this programme means that you – by working together – will actually offer each other personal "comparative" insights on international law.

Three specialisation tracks 

​In today’s globalised world, public international law addresses complex, challenging issues that touch everyone’s lives. In the PIL programme, you will explore common themes of public international law with the option to take a specialisation in three tracks:

• Conflict and Security
• Human Rights
• Oceans, the Environment and Sustainability

Would you like to know more about studying Public International Law at Utrecht University? Have a look at our movie to get an impression.

Multidimensional Teaching and Research

You will build relevant and current skills by studying actual cases facing the International Court of Justice and other international dispute settlement institutions. You will develop your argumentation abilities in moot courts, among other training methods, and learn to apply your knowledge of the law to real-life situations. This academic and challenging English-taught LLM programme reflects the Law School’s multi-dimensional approach to legal teaching: developments in public international law are best seen from a broad perspective.

Active, self-designed learning

Our Master’s programme in Public International Law offers you active learning methods in which your own interests, ambitions and aims will guide your learning experiences. Your lecturers take a supportive role in this self-created, individualised approach to your studies. In the Capita Selecta modules and in your own specialisation, you will be trained in the essential skill of how to quickly deepen your knowledge of a current, specialised legal topic. From the very beginning, you will also take part in research and thesis training that prepares you to write your Master’s thesis, the culmination of your LLM programme.

Specific knowledge, broad perspectives

This Master's programme provides you with thorough and highly individualised training that will prepare you for a legal career in an international environment. You will particularly develop your academic and practical abilities through taking part in moot courts, visiting international courts and other institutions and undertaking research focused on your thesis. You will also learn to reflect critically on current legal dilemmas, pertaining to human rights, environment and security, presented by our globalised and interdependent world. Whether you aim to build a career as a diplomat, attorney or policy officer in national government, researcher, legal advisor in an NGO or governmental organisation, or attorney in the legal department of a multinational corporation business, you will learn to work effectively and ethically in the complex world of public international law.

What does this Master entail?

During your studies, you will:

• Craft your own study path by customising your programme through a specialisation and selecting different modules offered within Capita Selecta.
• Examine real-life cases from pending legal proceedings of the International Court of Justice and other international dispute settlement mechanisms.
• Take advantage of the cutting-edge public international law research emerging from the Utrecht University School of Law, in particular from the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS), the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (SIM) and the Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL).
• Receive focused training in conducting research and writing your thesis.
• Participate in small-scale classes, meaning more interaction time with lecturers and other students.
• Take part in a Master's programme that is distinguished by its close connections with international courts (notably the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs). 

The perfect location

Utrecht is more than just a well-established classical university. It is a vibrant town where Dutch history, a cosmopolitan population and an active student network meet. Every year, students from all over the world come to Utrecht and have the experience of a lifetime. Why not join them?

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

19 Law PhD positions in Phd in Netherlands

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• Netherlands
• Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe)
• Posted on: 9 September 2024

PhD - AI to combine and model Electromagnetic Noise Footprint (EMNF) in PCB Tracks (DC4)

Job Information

Offer description.

At the faculty of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, a PhD-position is available within the PATTERN project, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network funded by the EU. The position is open for appointment during the course of 2025, with a duration of 48 months hosted by TU/e, and includes a 2-4 months secondment at KU Leuven (BE) and Idiada (CZ).

We are looking for you!

Do you want to be trained to take up a key position mixing electronics and AI for medical electronic equipment? While being part of a prestigious MSCA doctoral network working on the embedding of existing AI technology into a the design for electromagnetic interference in medical equipment? This is your chance!!

This Doctoral Candidate (DC) first goal will be to unravel a structural understanding of the exchange of parasitic energy a PCB Tracks with its environment using AI tools. The so-called EMNF (ElectroMagnetic Noise Footprint) comprises a set of characteristic curves obtained from stand-alone measurements on a PCB. A second goal will consist in exploring how to combine two or more EMNFs. The work will support an optimization (within the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework) of PCB routing by combining EMNFs.

Research Programme Description

PATTERN – European Doctoral Network Enabling Artificial Intelligence for Electromagnetic Compatibility consortium is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101169295 and UKRI. It groups 9 hiring Universities: Eindhoven University of Technology (NL), University of Twente (NL), KU Leuven (BE), Universiteit Gent (BE), Tomáš Baťa University (CZ), Technische Universität Hamburg (DE), CNRS (FR), NOVA University of Lisbon (PT) and De Montfort University (UK). PATTERN will create a long-lasting, multidisciplinary, academic-industrial network for doctoral training, with leading European industry and academia, to achieve a breakthrough in the design of innovative EMI solutions, throughout their lifecycle, with AI acting as the key enabler of a new design philosophy. For this inclusion to occur, each DC will develop through their research the missing dedicated components, tools and techniques, and apply them to a representative set of EMI solutions under development. This hands-on training is supplemented with several scientific professional courses and an immersive training where the DCs can fine-tune their skills for the Jobs of tomorrow, while addressing the societal challenges of the PATTERN program.

About Universities and companies hosting this position

• Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a world-leading research university specializing in engineering science & technology. The Department of Electrical Engineering is responsible for research and education in Electrical Engineering. The discipline covers technologies and electrical phenomena involved in computer engineering, information processing, energy transfer, and telecommunication. The department strives for societal relevance through an emphasis on the fields of smart sustainable systems, the connected world and care & cure. The TU/e is the world’s best-performing research university in terms of research cooperation with industry.
• KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and a LERU Charter member. In Horizon 2020, KU Leuven currently has more than 330 approved projects, and is in 11th place for European institutions hosting ERC grants, which is a manifestation of the three pillars of KU Leuven: research, education and service to society.
• IDIADA CZ, a.s. is part of the Applus+ corporation, in particular the Spanish company IDIADA, which currently employs more than 2,500 professionals in Spain and its branches in 12 countries in Europe, South America and Asia. They are one of the most experienced and strongest suppliers of comprehensive development solutions in the automotive and engineering industry in the Czech Republic.

Where to apply

Requirements.

We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements:

• You are creative and ambitious, hard-working, and persistent.
• You have a MSc degree or you will have it by the end of 2025 in electrical engineering or any other relevant program.
• You have theoretical and applied knowledge or interest in Machine Learning, Data-driven modelling,  and/or electrical engineering (with electromagnetism).
• You have good communicative skills, and the attitude to partake successfully in the work of a research team.
• You have a good command of the English language (Spoken and Written).

Additional Information

The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Doctoral Researchers. The nominal (gross) amount includes (at least) a living allowance (€3400 per month, country coefficient applies to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States), a mobility allowance (€600 per month), and a family allowance (€660 per month, if applicable). Deductions will apply for social security contributions and/or taxes according to the applicable national laws of the country were the recruiting organization is located.

• Supported researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment.
• Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. For ‘International European Research Organisations’ (IERO), ‘international organisations’, or entities created under Union law, the researchers must not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment in the same appointing organisation. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent by the researcher as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video .

All applications proceed first through the on-line platform . Candidates apply electronically for one to maximum three positions and indicate their preference. Candidates provide all requested information including a detailed CV ( Europass format obligatory), a motivation letter and transcripts of bachelor and master’s degree. During the registration, applicants will need to prove that they are eligible (mobility criteria, and English language proficiency). The deadline for the online registration is 30 Sept. 2024.

The PATTERN Recruitment Committee selects between 32 and maximum 48 candidates for the Recruitment Event which will take place Online (Mid-November 2024). The selected candidates provide a 20-minute presentation and are interviewed by the Recruitment Committee. Candidates will be asked about a given domain relevant peer-reviewed paper (prior to the recruitment event) to test their background/profile for the DC position.

Prior to the recruitment event, online interviews between the Supervisor(s) and the candidates are recommended, along with online personality tests.

The final decision will be communicated after the Recruitment Event (End-November 2024). The selected DCs are expected to start their research as quickly as possible in 2025.

All the parties are dedicated to promoting the role of women in science, and, therefore, explicitly encourage women to apply for this position.

For more information about the project and any informal enquiries, please contact Dr. Ir. Anne Roc’h ( [email protected] ).

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page .

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