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PhD candidate in Governance and Legal History of Water Quality (Tilburg University) – deadline 27 February 2026
The Department of Public Law and Governance of Tilburg University is looking for a PhD candidate in Governance and Legal History of Water Quality.
The PhD candidate will examine what today’s governance of water quality can learn from early modern cities. By tracing how civic communities once organised and enforced measures to protect water resources, the project will connect historical practices to contemporary policy challenges.
Under supervision of Dr Merlijn van Hulst and Dr Marco in ‘t Veld the candidate will dive into the history of water quality in cities across the Rhine Delta and will investigate (inter alia) how early modern cities did address water quality, how citizens were involved in shaping these practices and what insights these historical practices do provide for rethinking contemporary water governance.
To answer such questions, the PhD candidate will conduct archival research in several relevant cities while also comparing findings to contemporary governance practices. To investigate parallels between past and present, the candidate will engage with expertise and experts in contemporary (water) governance through literature study, interviews, and conferences. The candidate is guided towards disseminating results in international conferences, academic articles, and ultimately a dissertation (in English). The position also involves a teaching component (20%).
Applications should be submitted before 27 February 2026via the portal of Tilburg University (see button below).
