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

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is recruiting three fully funded full-time 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 focuses on legal history, diplomatic history, and early modern international law, using a large corpus of handwritten memoranda preserved at the Archives diplomatiques of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in La Courneuve, France. The work combines archival and doctrinal research, participation in a large-scale digitisation effort, dissertation writing, journal publication, and collaboration in an international ERC research team.

The three doctoral projects 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 (including law of nations, Roman law, public law, and private law).

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in law or history. The post is explicitly advertised as a PhD opening and is fully funded. The deadline for candidacies is 2026-07-08, with an expected starting date of 2026-10-01.

Interested candidates should consult the project page and the VUB academic vacancies notice, then apply through the linked application information before the deadline.