Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law: Stephanie de Sousa Vieira - Legal Entanglements
2024-07-22 The South American lawyer is investigating how the new EU supply chain law influences Brazil's legal environmental protection. At Leuphana, she benefits from international exchange and excellent supervision in the doctoral programme.
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) impacts not only the European Union but also its trading partners. "The EU is a significant trading partner for Brazil. Without compliance with the directive, business between European and South American companies would be unfeasible. Brazil and other countries are thus compelled to comply,’ explains Stephanie de Sousa Vieira. The lawyer has already analysed the draft of this law in her Master's thesis. With the final text now published, implementation will be mandatory for part of the companies from 2027. In her doctoral thesis, Stephanie de Sousa Vieira analyzes the potential impacts of the new EU supply chain law on Brazil's legal environmental protection: ‘I am examining both the positive and negative repercussions. The directive could support Brazil in achieving its sustainability goals, but ensuring compliance will involve significant costs and challenges. It will certainly have legal implications,’ explains the doctoral student.
Stephanie de Sousa Vieira already received a scholarship from a foundation during her Master's degree at the Universidade Federal do Ceará. She benefits from the Joachim Herz Scholarship both in terms of content and financially: ‘Thanks to the funding, I can dedicate myself entirely to my research, which is a privilege. I also have better conditions in Germany for researching EU law, essential to my study,’ says Stephanie de Sousa Vieira.
The doctoral student had already started a doctorate on EU supply chain law in Brazil. The scholarship now enables her to complete her PhD in Germany with a cotutelle agreement involving the Universidade Federal do Ceará in Brazil. After four years of research work, Stephanie de Sousa Vieira will receive a diploma from Leuphana University as well as from the Universidade Federal do Ceará. "The University of Lüneburg is my main academic centre. I receive excellent support here from Prof Dr Jelena Bäumler and Prof Dr Jens Gerlach,’ reports the Brazilian. Her third supervisor at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, Prof Dr Tarin Mont’Alverne, provides the Brazilian perspective.
Stephanie de Sousa Vieira benefits especially from international exchange and partnerships at the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law, as she reports. The doctoral students regularly present their research in colloquia: ‘The fellows come from Turkey, Austria, Germany, and India. The different perspectives enrich my research,’ says Stephanie de Sousa Vieira.
The Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law offers a structured doctoral programme in the field of law and transformation. Thanks to funding from the eponymous Joachim Herz Foundation, this doctoral programme gives highly qualified lawyers the opportunity to pursue challenging dissertation projects on topics closely related to transformation processes.