PhD Position on EU Strategic Autonomy and Defence Industries

Are you passionate about EU law and Europe’s military security? If so, then we have a PhD position for you at Utrecht University!

Wat ga je doen?

The European Union has historically been framed as an economic giant and political dwarf. More than 30 years after the Treaty of Maastricht created EU competences in the fields of defence and foreign policy, there is still no consensus on the nature of the EU as a geopolitical actor. Ever since the EU’s 2016 Security Strategy, the ambition to become a stronger geopolitical actor has been embodied by the concept of strategic autonomy. In plain terms, the notion refers to the capacity of the EU to act independently and without reliance on actors from third countries in those policy areas which are strategically important; in particular in the area of defence industries.

While the structures of the international order are rapidly shifting, the EU’s constitutional foundations have largely remained the same. National sovereignty still forms the foundation for military capabilities. The concrete meaning of European strategic autonomy therefore remains inconclusive.

As a PhD researcher, you will undertake a four-year research project aimed at identifying and critically examining the constitutional foundations of strategic autonomy in the field of defence industries. To achieve this, you will integrate classical legal-doctrinal research methods with theoretical insights from geopolitics (international relations) and empirical insights from EU policymaking.

Wat breng je mee?

You:

• have obtained a legal master’s degree, preferably in EU law;
• have strong analytical skills and excellent academic writing skills proven by excellent study results;
• are capable of working autonomously on complex legal issues and are able to discern between political and legal issues in current geopolitical affairs;
• possess an excellent command of written and spoken English;
• are looking for work in which you are intellectually challenged;
• have the ambition to understand this topic, to provide solutions, and finalise a PhD thesis in four years.

Wat bieden wij?

We offer:

• a position for 18 months - after a positive evaluation the employment will be extended to four years in total;
• a gross monthly salary between €2,872 and €3,670 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.