Three Fully Funded PhD Researchers in Legal History, Diplomatic History, and Early Modern International Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel Vrije Universiteit Brussel in

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is recruiting three fully funded PhD researchers for the ERC Consolidator Grant TREATYLAB – The Labyrinth of Treaties: International Law Behind the Scenes of Early Enlightenment Diplomacy, 1712–1763.

The project examines the intellectual and practical foundations of eighteenth-century diplomacy through a large corpus of handwritten memoranda preserved at the Archives diplomatiques of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in La Courneuve, France. The research combines legal history, diplomatic history, and early modern international law, with strong links to the law of nations, Roman law, public law, and private law.

Each doctoral position includes archival and doctrinal research, participation in a large-scale digitisation effort, preparation of a doctoral dissertation, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and active collaboration within an international ERC research team.

The three PhD topics are: (1) Ius ad bellum and the use of force; (2) The Franco-Spanish relationship; and (3) The presence of legal doctrine in diplomatic practice.

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in law or history. The positions are full-time and fully funded. The deadline for candidacies is 8 July 2026, with an expected starting date of 1 October 2026.

Interested candidates should review the formal vacancy notice and the detailed thematic descriptions, then apply through the linked VUB application information before the deadline.