Postdoctoral Researcher in Regional Human Rights Regimes (The African System)

• Amsterdam Law School
• PhD
• 30.4 hours

Do you enjoy legal and social science research and writing on regional human rights regimes and their effectiveness? Being part of a vibrant research community and working in a team? Participating in academic exchanges about the intersection of law, history and social sciences and about legal developments in the field of human rights? Understanding and analyzing the domestic impact of international human rights law in non-democratic contexts? Then the job of postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam is perfect for you!

Working at the UvA

Beyond Compliance: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Regional Human Rights Regimes

We are inviting prospective researchers to apply for a PD project within the project Beyond Compliance: Rethinking the Effectiveness of Regional Human Rights Regimes. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to conduct innovative research leading to the completion of several individual and co-authored publications. As part of the team of researchers for the overarching project, the successful applicant will design and carry out an individual research plan in agreement and exchange with the whole team.

All about this vacancy

What are you going to do

In light of the growing authoritarian challenge to human rights, the project investigates the limitations and possibilities for regional human rights regimes to be effective in non-democratic contexts. Beyond Compliance investigates, based on an inter-disciplinary approach combining historical, legal and social science research, how the European, African and inter-American human rights regimes have developed and enforced their norms against states engaging in gross violations, legal repression, and/or systemic rule of law violations. Within this overall framework, the postdoctoral researcher, together with the principle investigator who will work on the European system and the other postdoctoral researcher who will be working on the inter-American system, and based on the same multi-method approach, will investigate:

• How the African system has enforced its norms against states engaging in systemic and gross violations; and
• How, meanwhile, it responded to the legal mobilization of domestic human rights advocates.

Other tasks:

• Design the scope of the postdoctoral research project, and fine-tune the research questions and methodology together with the whole research team
• Engage autonomously in the collection of data (e.g. document analysis and interviews);
• Present intermediate research results in internal discussions and at workshops and conferences;
• Contribute to project activities, such as organizing academic events or outreach; and communication of research results to activists, relevant communities of practitioners and policy makers; and
• Optionally, and in mutual agreement with the project leader and in line with the teaching needs of the International and European Public Law Department, have teaching responsibilities.

What do you have to offer

You have:

• (or are about to obtain) A PhD in Law, Political Science, Sociology or another Social Science discipline that enables you to carry out research on the effectiveness of the African Human Rights regime;
• An  interest in conducting multi-method research on a topic related to the broader theme of the project, namely the effectiveness of regional human rights regimes;
• A commitment to work independently and as part of the team to produce outputs that are publishable in international peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes;
• Knowledge and insights about the political and legal context in the African region and about the African human rights regime;
• Experience with conducting academic research and academic writing in English;
• Very good knowledge of French, in order to read documents and conduct interviews; and
• The ability to set and attain your (own) goals.

What we offer

• An employment contract for one year with a probationary period of two months, preferably starting on 1 September 2025. The appointment will be extended for another year upon favourable evaluation, i.e until 31 August 2027;
• for international staff, support in obtaining residence permit, registering with the municipality, finding housing (not guaranteed), learning Dutch and applying for a 30% tax ruling.

Your place at the UvA

You will be working in this team

You will be part of a project funded by an ERC Starting Grant and running 5 years, as part of a team consisting of the principle investigator, two postdoctoral researchers, one PhD researcher, and one student assistant. The project team will be based at the Amsterdam Center for International Law (ACIL), the Center of Excellence for Public International Law of the University of Amsterdam. ACIL’s research activities aim at a critical understanding of international law in society, its progressive development, and its effective rule. In order to do that, it typically starts by critically reflecting on the roles that the law plays in its context, in the pursuit of justice and the perpetuation of injustice.

About the Amsterdam Law School

Committed, responsible and open-minded. This is how we at the Amsterdam Law School view the role of law in a constantly changing (international) society. With over 5,000 students and 600 staff, we are one of the larger law faculties in the Netherlands. We educate legal professionals who know how to apply the law effectively with the aim of actually contributing to solutions for society. We respond to social developments through innovative and pioneering research. In this way, we always keep in touch with society.Read more about the Amsterdam Law School

Important to know

Your application & contact

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application consisting of the documents listed below. Please apply online via the link below. We will accept applications until 9 March 2025. We plan to conduct the interviews in late March/early April. Depending on the current location of eligible candidates, interviews may also be conducted online. Please note that it is only possible to upload two documents, therefore please combine the required files in two (PDF) documents.

File 1:

• Motivation letter;
• A CV of no more than two pages, including the names and email addresses of two referees;
• Research proposal outline of no more than 1,500 words, excluding references; and
• Writing sample of a recently written, single authored manuscript (e.g., a chapter of your PhD thesis) in English.

File 2:

• Copies of your PhD and master’s education or equivalent, providing information about the programme's length, content, passed courses and grades.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture. Read more

If you choose to upload your documents differently, you run the risk that the files are rejected for being too big or that we miss part of your application. If you have any questions about the position, please contact by email: Dr. Dilek Kurban: d.kurban@uva.nl