Dear GEP-ED members, In addition to the two PhD positions<https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/working-at-utrecht-university/jobs/two-phd-positions-in-global-environmental-governance-at-utrecht-university-10-fte> advertised last week, I am also hiring a postdoctoral research fellow to join my research team based at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
The postdoc will become part of the new exciting research project ‘Problem-Shifting between International Environmental Treaty Regimes: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions’. I will be leading this project for the next five years (2021-2026) with a 1.5 million euro 'Starting Grant' from the European Research Council. Here is a project description: International environmental treaties (e.g., Paris Agreement) are designed to solve specific environmental problems. Yet their potentially negative impact on environmental issues other than their own is rarely studied. Until now global governance theories have assumed that environmental treaties are inherently ‘green’, and hence, any adverse consequences are conveniently set aside as unintended or inevitable. But is that true? Here we question, do environmental treaties ever pursue their objectives by merely shifting problems to others? If so, when and why? Does such buck-passing create any systemic risk beyond those directly affected? And what might be appropriate responses to ensure our efforts add up to a net positive impact? Environmental problem-shifting, or protecting one part of the environment by damaging another, is a major dilemma arising in global governance. Yet the issue remains under-investigated, requiring an urgent scientific inquiry. This project will thus examine the causes and consequences of, and provide solutions to, environmental problem-shifting between international environmental treaty regimes. By drawing on our interdisciplinary and multi-method expertise in ‘earth system’ law and governance, we will (1) identify and explain the conditions under which problem-shifting occurs; (2) assess and predict the systemic effects of problem-shifting; and (3) offer solutions for optimizing the currently fragmented governance system. The project aims to advance the theoretical debate on the architecture of global governance and its overall effectiveness. The scientific breakthrough will be enabled through methodologically innovative combinations of qualitative and quantitative methods, including process tracing, comparative case studies, network analysis, system dynamics modelling, and multi-stakeholder workshops. Building on the theoretical and empirical foundations, we will offer unique insights and valuable advice to markedly improve global governance decisions. I will be hiring two postdocs for this project, one after another, each for two years. The first postdoc I’m hiring now will primarily focus on the first aim of the project on the causes. This will require a good theoretical knowledge of international environmental regimes, especially those articulated in hundreds of multilateral environmental agreements. The research will be conducted using qualitative research methods, so the candidate does not necessarily need to possess quantitative research skills required for assessing the systemic effects of environmental problem-shifting (although data analytical skills are considered a strong asset). For more information about the positions and how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/working-at-utrecht-university/jobs/postdoc-position-in-global-environmental-governance-at-utrecht-university-10-fte. The closing date is 13 June. Please share this information widely with your colleagues and networks. Any enquiries or recommendations are welcome at r....@uu.nl<mailto:r....@uu.nl>. Thank you very much in advance. Best wishes, Rak RAKHYUN E. KIM BSc MSc MEnvLaw PhD Assistant Professor of Global Environmental Governance | Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development | Utrecht University | Room 7.22, Vening Meinesz A, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB, Utrecht, The Netherlands | r....@uu.nl<mailto:r....@uu.nl> | www.uu.nl/staff/RKim<http://www.uu.nl/staff/RKim> Principal Investigator | PROBLEMSHIFTING: Problem-Shifting between International Environmental Treaty Regimes<https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/949252> | European Research Council StG Project -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/EED53A7C-179C-4446-8885-1F8EC18D68F1%40uu.nl.
