6 Doctoral Research Positions in Law, Ethics and Economics for Sustainable Development (LEES)

The Universities of MilanRijeka and Maastricht are seeking six outstanding and committed students to carry out a three-year multidisciplinary research project, based at more than one participating university (see here the call for application and the course website). 

The three universities are launching LEES, a new doctoral programme in International and Public Law, Ethics and Economics for Sustainable Development. With courses, seminars and scientific research activities entirely in English, it addresses the complexities involved in sustainable development, and uses an innovative multidisciplinary approach that combines the contributions of law, ethics, and economics. The broad interdisciplinary view that inspires the PhD programme is here attached.

The programme is managed by a highly qualified international doctoral board and supervised by an international scientific council composed by top scholars in the relevant fields of law ethics and economics (see attachment), which will advise the board on the development of research lines and the programme of the yearly international workshops  and summer schools.

The first year of the programme will be based in Milan, where the PhD students will attend courses and seminars, and participate in the activities and events of the academic community of the Department. The second and third years will mainly be dedicated to students’ own personal research projects and to participating in the large-scale joint project by working with one of our partner universities, and with the cooperation of their advisors. To enable their participation in the joint project, students will have access to additional funding and will have the opportunity to carry out part of their research either in one of the other leading universities – Rijeka or Maastricht – or in another partner university (see full list attached) depending on the project and the agreements which will be set up. Researchers who choose to work with one of the partner universities will receive, in addition to the joint degree from the three leading universities, a degree from the applicable partner university, as well.

The candidates must be prepared to be both visionary and ambitious, in order to alter the current, unsatisfactory trajectory of development by taking intellectual risks. They must be devoted to social justice and committed to enhancing the quality of research in one or more of the Ph.D. research fields, as well as open to and interested in using research methodologies in different fields (Law, Ethics, and Economics). Candidates must have the preparation and the ability to pursue innovative results at the frontiers of research, where unsolved problems call for interdisciplinary approaches and contributions, and submit a project in line with at least one of the many proposed lines of research.

LEES lines of research focus on, in particular: re-thinking legal, ethical, and economic approaches to sustainability; social justice and theories of justice; environmental issues; public options for sustainable development; governance of the common sphere; corporate social responsibility; innovation technologies; and human rights (full list here).

If you are interested, please submit your application no later than 14 October 2019 through the University of Milan submission system, (see here the call for application containing all the requirements and information to submit your application).

For additional information you may contact: for academic queries, the Head of the Programme, Professor Lorenzo Sacconi: lorenzo.sacconi@unimi.itfor administrative questionslees@unimi.it.