Call for Applications: Doctoral Workshop on Sustainability and Law in Context
30. Nov.
Date: 11 March 2026
Location: Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
Submission Deadline: 30 November 2025
The Workshop
Sustainability is a key consideration and priority in contemporary legal and political contexts. It emerges in different settings, from ‘fair and sustainable migration’ to ‘sustainable energy’, but how does law influence sustainability and, at the same time, how is it shaped by its urgent demands? How do we understand and talk about ‘sustainability’ in diverse legal contexts? Do the views on sustainability differ between the various areas of law? If so, could these different conceptions of sustainability learn from and inspire one another? This doctoral workshop aims to bring together various legal approaches to sustainability and law in context, to stimulate and initiate cross-field discussions and creative collaborations between different legal perspectives on sustainability. Examples of such different approaches to sustainability and law could include, but are not limited to, constitutional law and the rights of nature, the link between sustainability and the interest of future generations, ecocide in (international) criminal law, environmental displacement and migration law, sustainable consumption and the concept of sustainable development in national, EU or international law.
During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to present their research (around 10 minutes) in moderated thematic panels and engage in discussions with the other participants. PhD candidates focusing on different aspects and intersections of sustainability and law in context are encouraged to apply. The workshop also presents a great opportunity to connect with peers from law faculties throughout the Netherlands and Germany in a highly internationalized environment.
Application Process
The call for abstract is aimed at PhD candidates researching one or more aspects of the intersection between sustainability and law. The application should consist of a short description of the intended presentation (no more than 400 words) in addition to a short bio (no more than 150 words) containing the applicant’s name, the year of study, university affiliation and the name(s) of the supervisor(s). Participation in the doctoral workshop will be free of charge. Travel costs will not be reimbursed.
Please apply using this link (here).
About the Organizers
The doctoral workshop is co-organized by PhD candidates belonging to the Sustainability & Public Law research project at the Research Centre for State and Law (SteR), Radboud University (Netherlands), and the Law and Transformation Programme at the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law, Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany).