The PhD project is part of the overarching project, entitled Proactive Management of Antarctic Tourism: Exploring the Role of ATS Principles and Values and Best Practices Beyond the ATS (PROACT). The project will be conducted by a consortium in which three universities participate: Tilburg University (TiU), Utrecht University (UU) and Wageningen University and Research (WUR). The objective of the project is to develop knowledge for strengthening the proactive management of tourism within the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) on four themes, each covered by a PhD or postdoc project: (1) regulating visitor numbers by a cap-and-trade system (PhD, WUR); (2) constraining diversification of activities by pre-assessment procedures (PhD, WUR/TiU); (3) improving domestic implementation and enforcement of ATS tourism regulations (PhD, TiU); and (4) enhancing the role of non-use and non-user States (postdoc, UU). Whereas the two PhD projects at WUR are based in the social sciences and interdisciplinary research, the TiU PhD and UU postdoc positions fall within the discipline of law. Key features of the project include close cooperation between consortium staff (PhDs/postdoc/supervisors) and involvement of policy officers and international experts.

The TiU PhD project relates to the theme of strengthening implementation of the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty and other ATS regulations applying to Antarctic tourism. The agreement to disagree on the question of sovereignty over Antarctic territory (Article IV Antarctic Treaty), constitutes the basis for a joint management system for Antarctica. Consequently, human activities in the Antarctic have to be regulated through the domestic legislation of the Parties to the ATS regulations. However, Contracting Parties to the Protocol have adopted different implementation approaches, for instance in relation to the question as to which persons are covered by domestic legislation (jurisdictional scope). These differences result in gaps in, overlaps of, and conflicts between legislation of different Parties, which raises the question as to what extent the Parties are successful in establishing system of ‘joint jurisdiction’ over Antarctic tourism activities. This question is of particular importance in light of tourism growth and diversification (PROACT projects 1 and 2). The objectives of the TiU project are: to conduct a comprehensive comparative legal study on the jurisdictional scope of domestic legislation of the Parties to the Protocol; to identify related problems in theory and practice for ensuring that Antarctic tourism activities are covered by the Protocol and other ATS regulations; to study the concept of ‘joint jurisdiction’ in light of present and future developments; and to provide concrete proposals on how to address problems, also in view of findings of the three other PROACT projects.

An applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• A completed Master’s degree in law before starting the PhD and special expertise in the fields of international law and the implementation of international law in domestic legal systems (connecting international law, constitutional law and administrative law);
• Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of human activities and regulation in the Antarctic context;
• The ambition to pursue academically path-breaking research leading toward an excellent PhD dissertation;
• Willingness and ability to work in a team and to contribute to the broader aims of the PROACT-project, for instance through the conduct of organisational tasks;
• A clear interest in inter- or transdisciplinary collaborative research;
• Excellent skills in legal research methods;
• Excellent English speaking and writing skills;
• Good planning and organizing skills;
• Willingness to participate in the Tilburg Graduate Law School courses and activities;
• Spanish language skills would be considered an advantage.

TiU offers excellent terms of employment. TiU fosters diversity and inclusion; that is why we pursue an active policy for inclusive teams where diverse talents can flourish.

The starting gross salary varies between € 2,395 and € 3,061 gross per month (full time) based on scale P of the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. TiU actively promotes equal and transparent salaries? between men and women by strictly applying predetermined parameters based on the candidate’s experience.
TiU offers you an employment agreement for a fixed period of 4 years and 1,0 fte (40 hours per week). 
You are entitled to a holiday allowance amounting to 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross yearly income. If you work 40 hours per week, you receive 41 days of paid recreational leave per year.
Please visit Working at Tilburg University for more information on our employment conditions. 

Tilburg University

Under the motto ‘Understanding society’, Tilburg University’s more than 1,500 employees develop knowledge, transfer it to others, and bring people from various disciplines and organizations together. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. Our focus areas are economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, the humanities and digital sciences, and theology. Tilburg University is internationally known for its high standards in education and scientific research, as well as its good support facilities. The Tilburg University campus offers both quietness and connectivity as it is located next to a wooded park and ten minutes away from the city center, main highways, and railways. A mid-sized city of 200,000 inhabitants in the South of the Netherlands, and in proximity to cities like Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and London, Tilburg is situated at the very heart of Western Europe. 

Tilburg Law School offers highly ranked national and international education and research in law and public administration. Currently, almost 4,000 students are enrolled at Tilburg Law School. Students can choose from five Bachelor's programs, one of which is taught in English (Bachelor Global Law) and ten Master's programs, eight of which are taught in English. The international orientation of Tilburg Law School is reflected in these Bachelor's and Master's programs. The research conducted within Tilburg Law School is aimed at social relevance and provides students with the necessary tools and skills to study and deal with current issues at an academic level. The research within Tilburg Law School is organized into five cross-departmental research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) New Modes of Lawmaking and Governance in a Multilayered Order; 3) Law and Security; 4) Sustainable Business Law and Taxation; and 5) Law and Technology. The PhD Project is situation in the Global Law and Governance department.

Department of Public Law & Governance

The Department of Public Law & Governance is a unique collaboration of researchers in the fields of: International Law, European law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Public Administration, Legal Philosophy, Political Science, Legal History and Jurisprudence. Collaboration within the department is very much inspired by joint research interests.