Doctoral position in the area of International Law at Max Planck

International Max Planck Research School on Retaliation, Mediation,
Punishment (IMPRS-REMEP)
Call for Doctoral Research Position
The Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International
Law in
Heidelberg offers in accordance with the conditions of the Max Planck
Society for the
support of young researchers
a doctoral research position
within the area of international law
starting 1 February 2009 
for the conferral of a doctorate degree in law (Dr. jur.).
These doctoral positions are granted in the context of the
interdisciplinary programme of
the 'Max Planck Research School on Retaliation, Mediation, Punishment
(IMPRS-
REMEP)'. The research school aims to attract young researchers educated
in law (in
particular international law). 
The doctoral student will carry out his or her studies mainly in
Heidelberg, will
participate in the training program offered by the IMPRS-REMEP and may
use the
facilities and infrastructure of the Max Planck Institute for
Comparative Public Law and
International Law. The interdisciplinary curriculum further requires
participation in
several joint seminars to be conducted together with the doctoral
students who are
affiliated with the IMPRS-REMEP partner institutes in Halle/Saale,
Freiburg and
Frankfurt/Main. During these seminars, all students shall achieve
cross-disciplinary
knowledge in order to develop a common understanding of the overall
research agenda
and to be able to mutually understand and discuss their doctoral theses
from the
perspectives of all relevant disciplines. Working language of the
training program and the
dissertation is English. According to local university regulations,
German language skills
may be required in exceptional cases. The scientific supervision of the
doctoral students
will be carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public
Law and
International Law. Cross-disciplinary dissertation projects may be
co-supervised by a
member of the academic staff from a partner institute. 
Candidates graduated in the disciplines of history of law, criminal
law, criminology and
(social) anthropology are invited to apply according to the parallel
calls of the partner
institutions (Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International
Criminal Law in Freiburg
i.Br, in co-operation with the Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Max
Planck Institute
for Social Anthropology in Halle/Saale, in co-operation with the Martin
Luther
University Halle-Wittenberg, Max Planck Institute for European Legal
History in
Frankfurt/Main).
Dissertation Topics
The research agenda has its focus on the fundamental question common to
the disciplines
of social sciences and humanities regarding how peace and social order
are negotiated,
constructed, maintained and re-gained. In particular, in the context of
conflict and post-
conflict societies, traditional approaches to reconciliation and
mediation are being
adopted, amending, and – partially – replacing, well-established
systems of punishment
mainly based on concepts of retaliation. 
Research in Heidelberg shall be conducted in the field of international
law.  Possible
areas of research are international criminal law and its role in the
global legal order,
issues of transitional justice and the international system for the
maintenance and re-
establishment of world peace with a special focus on compliance.
Particular importance
is attached to the development of a system of international courts and
international
criminal tribunals. In this respect the analysis of potential avenues
for a certain degree of
systemic coherence as well as an examination of the developing
international procedural
law and international fair trial standards will be of interest.
Applicants are expected to develop their research questions
independently, and to specify
those in their proposal. The dissertation topic needs to fit into the
thematic framework
outlined above. Proposals with a comparative perspective and/or an
inter-disciplinary
approach will be considered with priority.
Application requirements
1. Completion of a law degree at a German university or completion at
an equivalent
university abroad. First or Second German State Law Exam with a minimum

overall grade of "vollbefriedigend" (according to the examination
regulations
"JAPrO" of the State of Baden-Württemberg), or an equivalent degree
with an
equivalent grade ("with distinction") from abroad.
2. Submission of a substantive proposal for a dissertation topic linked
to the research
agenda of the IMPRS-REMEP. 
3. Solid proficiency in the English language. In addition, students
should have at
least some basic knowledge of German language and demonstrate
willingness to
improve it.
The IMPRS-REMEP seeks to reach a composition of at least 50 percent
foreign doctoral
students. Thus, foreign candidates with a foreign degree are explicitly
encouraged to
apply. 


Application documents
1. Cover sheet addressed to the 'International Max Planck Research
School on
Retaliation, Mediation, Punishment' at the Max Planck Institute for
Comparative
Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg
2. European style curriculum vitae (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/)
in German
or English. It should include information on all previous research
activities.
3. Copy of Secondary Education certificate with a list of subject
areas. The
documents must be officially translated into German (preferably) or
English and a
copy of the original supplied.
4. Copy of certificates relating to the First and, where applicable,
Second German
State Law Exam(s) from lawyers. From foreign graduates, copy of all
university
certificates with a list of all grades, including the overall grade,
the average grade
and the university certificate of graduation. The documents must be
officially
translated into German (preferably) or English and a copy of the
original supplied.
A table of grades specifying the different levels of accomplishment
needs to be
provided.
5. Substantive/meaningful proposal for a research topic (5 pages),
preferably in
English, structured into a) relevance of the proposed topic in the
context of the
overall research agenda of the IMPRS-REMEP, b) state of preparation, c)
aim of
the project, d) probable links to other disciplines, e) methodology, f)
proposed
timeline, g) intended time of completion of the dissertation. It is
intended that
doctoral students, when participating in the research program in a
regular manner,
will be able to complete the program within a two year period.
6. Two letters of recommendation from two senior scientists (to be
written in
English or German). These letters should include information as to
previous
research experience, and vouch for the ability of the applicant to
undertake
doctoral studies at the Research School.
7. Applicants who do not speak English as their native language and who
are unable
of demonstrating good proficiency in English language in any other way
must
prove their skills through language examination certificates. In
particular, the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with at least 6.0
bands or
TOEFEL (at least 560 points, computer: 220 points) are recognized.
8. Applicants who do not speak German as their native language should
be capable
to demonstrate basic knowledge of German, e.g., through a certificate
German
language ("Zertifikat Deutsch", ZD). Proficiency in German language is
not a
formal precondition for application. However, subject to university
regulations,
German may be mandatory for the oral doctoral exam or defense, or for
parts of
it, in individual cases. If necessary, access to external language
courses can be
arranged.
Presentation of officially authenticated copies of the original
certificates etc., with
regards to Nos. 3 and 4 above, is only necessary once a decision has
been made to
admission. 


Application dates
Application documents must be submitted by regular mail no later than
by 31
December 2008 to  
Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law
Attn. Ms. E. Matthies
Im Neuenheimer Feld 535
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Please also send your application letter, cv and propoals
electronically to the following
email address: application-imprs-remep@mpicc.de (maximum 5 MB per
E-Mail). 
Applicants will be invited to telephone or personal interviews in
Heidelberg upon prior
notification. The selection procedure should be completed by 15
February 2009. The
applicants will be informed of the selection results in writing. During
the selection
procedure we ask applicants to refrain from contacting the Institute
with regards to the
results of the procedure. An absolute right to financial support does
not exist.
The Max Planck Society endeavours, wherever possible, to employ
disabled persons, and
applications from such persons are expressly called for. The Max Planck
Society also
desires to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are
underrepresented.
Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply.
Financial support
Financial support is granted in accordance with the guidelines of the
Max Planck Society
in the form of a doctoral contract or bursary. The financial support
regarding the doctoral
contract corresponds with public service organizations (up to 50 per
cent of the payment
group 13 degree 1 of the General Framework Agreement on Public
Services,
"Tarifvertrag Öffentlicher Dienst", TVöD). Financial support will be
granted for a period
of two years, with a possibility of two subsequent extensions, each for
a period of six
months.
Inquiries
Further information on the research program of the IMPRS-REMEP as well
as on the
parallel calls published by the partner institutes can be acquired at
http://www.mpil.de/ww/de/pub/research_school/imprs_remep/programm.cfm
Information on the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and
International
Law is available at www.mpil.de. For additional inquiries, please write
to                
imprs-remep@mpicc.de. 

Source:
http://www.mpil.de/ww/en/pub/news/job_offers.cfm