- Write four research papers to be published as peer-reviewed articles;
- Actively participate in the academic activities of the "Law & Technology" program as well as the Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute;
- Engage in limited teaching activities in law & technology and in the supervision of master students;
- Present research results at national and international conferences and workshops;
- Be an active member of a vibrant, diverse, and international research group;
- Acquire research skills to become a truly interdisciplinary and empirical researcher.
- You have a strong interest in (digital) competition law (ideally, with a background in the field);
- You have a master's degree in Law or a related discipline (or are in the process of obtaining one);
- You can demonstrate scientific research skills or willingness to acquire them;
- You have excellent oral and written command of English;
- You have an interest in learning about empirical legal research (such as network analysis and systematic content analysis);
- You have an interest in learning about complexity economics.
- A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata;
- 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
- the possibility of working partly from home;
- Solid Pension Scheme (ABP);
- contribution to commuting expenses.
- Analyse how law and ethics constrain and stimulate technology;
- Examine how law affects technology, and how to shape the law accordingly;
- Assess how technology triggers legal needs;
- Explore the socio-legal implications of human-technology interaction;
- Balance rights and interests at large, in relation to technology;
- Foster transparency, inclusiveness, and diversity.
PhD Position: Digital Ecosystems in Competition Law and Market Regulation - Amsterdam, Nederland - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Beschrijving
Are you interested in doing a PhD at the intersection of competition law and digital regulation? We offer an exciting position in this area.
Your function
EU policymakers and competition enforcers are showing a growing interest in digital ecosystems, thus moving away from the regulation of products, services, and technologies as stand-alone entities. Their interest in ecosystems can be seen in digital competition law, whether in recent enforcement actions, the new guidelines on market definition, etc., but also in the Digital Markets Act, the AI Act, and the Data Act. The emergence of Generative AI further pushes competition agencies to consider ecosystem dynamics, as the first investigations and market studies in this area already show.
In this context, Dr. Thibault Schrepel, and Prof. Gareth Davies are looking for a PhD candidate to conduct legal research on the concept of digital ecosystem. Under the guidance of the supervisors, the PhD student will deploy empirical legal methods to document the scope and meaning of the concept as used and defined by EU policymakers and competition agencies. The candidate will then develop a unifying, robust theory of digital ecosystems for competition law and digital market regulation. More specifically, the candidate will be asked to:
Your profile
As part of the application process, you must submit a diploma, CV, motivation letter, and one piece of writing, such as a Master's Thesis or journal article. In a later stage of the procedure, we might request the contact details of two referees.
As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognizing that diversity takes many forms. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
What do we offer?
We offer you the opportunity to become a leading academic in the field of digital competition law, and, more generally, "law & technology & economics". Our priority is to provide an intellectually challenging and fulfilling experience in one of the world-leading research centers in Law & Technology: The Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute (ALTI). We are committed to offering the best, tailor-made training opportunities and careful supervision with the main aim of allowing you to grow and flourish academically and professionally.
We offer an employment contract for one year with a probationary period of two months, starting on 1 September 2024. The appointment will be extended for another three years upon favorable evaluation, i.e, until 31 August 2028. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week. Your salary ranges from €2.770 (in year 1) to €3.539 (in year 4) gross per month on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.
Besides an attractive salary and an inspiring international work environment, our fringe benefits include:
About us
Vrije University Amsterdam – Faculty Law
The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 31,000 students. We employ over 5,000 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.
The Faculty of Law provides bachelor's degree programmes in three main fields: Law, Notarial law and Criminology. In addition, we offer an extensive range of Master's programmes as well as contract education. Our teaching and research focus on the social function and relevance of law: from contracts in the platform economy to the new way of working, from colonial injustice to medical liability, from family reunification to civil participation, from sex offenses to ransomware. Our research is often both international and multidisciplinary in character.
Working at the Faculty of Law means being engaged in an active and inspiring academic setting. Together with your colleagues, you will contribute to the quality of teaching and research in a challenging and rewarding working environment. More than 300 people work at the Faculty of Law, which is home to some 4,500 students.
Law & Technology Program
The Law & Technology Research Programme was launched in 2023 to unite forces of all legal academics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam who are interested in how the law can and should promote opportunities offered by (new) technologies, while at the same time addressing the associated challenges in the light of the public interest and individual rights.
The Law & Technology Research Programme brings together legal scholars specialising in all things digital (i.e., research topics related to internet law, consumer law, intellectual property law, space law, digital competition law, biotechnology, criminal law, digital tax law, labour law, etc.). Among other things, our researchers seek to:
Researchers in the Law & Technology Research Programme collaborate with technology scholars from other disciplines, such as computer science, sociology, psychology, and economics. In doing so, the programme hopes to inspire society at large and, in particular, a new generation of scholars.
Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute
The Amsterdam Law and Technology Institute performs research and teaching in the field of law and technology. This covers a variety of topics ranging from digital services, smart devices, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. What binds the ALTI academics is the question of how new technological developments are related to the law. This includes questions such as: do new technological developments fit within the existing legal framework? Are new laws needed to address the problems related to technology? What should these laws look like? Should new technologies be facilitated to exploit their advantages or should they be restricted to see their risks?
ALTI's research and education intend to inspire society at large and, in particular, a new generation of lawyers to cover both the law as it is and how it should be and to bridge the gap between academia and practice. Besides our research, ALTI offers around 20 courses, primarily in the bachelor minor "Law, Ethics and Technology," the master "International Technology Law," and the Dutch master "Internet, Intellectuele Eigendom en ICT."
Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of the VU. The VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences, and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest, and differences lead to new insights and innovation, sharpness and clarity, excellence, and a broader understanding.
Relatively many of the students at the Faculty of Law are first-generation students, often from a migration background. We are convinced that diversity in all its aspects can enrich us. We would like to do more to promote that. For example, we aim to let the composition of our staff reflect our student population more. Do you have a non-Western migration background? Then we expressly invite you to apply.
Interested
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Dr. Thibault Schrepel, LL.M., at with the email object "Ph.D. application in Digital Ecosystems in Competition Law and Market Regulation".
Please note that we plan on interviewing selected candidates on June 10, 2024. When possible, please take this date into account when applying for the position.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.