Frederik Dhondt

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.