1 Postdoctoral Researcher in International Climate Change and Environmental Law in Finland | University of Eastern Finland

The University of Eastern Finland, UEF, is one of the largest multidisciplinary universities in Finland. We offer education in nearly one hundred major subjects, and are home to approximately 15,000 students and 2,800 members of staff. We operate on three campuses in Joensuu, Kuopio and Savonlinna. In international rankings, we are ranked among the leading 300 universities in the world.

The UEF Law School hosts the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL), which coordinates research and teaching in these areas. Over 20 researchers are affiliated with the Center, including three professors and three adjunct professors. The Center is part of the Institute for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (LYY). Climate change law research at the UEF Law School is also part of the new, multidiciplinary UEF international top-level research area ‘Aerosols, climate change and human health.’

The UEF Law School coordinates two international Master’s Degree programmes in the fields of environmental, climate change and resources law, as well as an LL.M Programme in energy law. Since 2004, it has been organizing an annual training course in international environmental law and diplomacy in cooperation with the UN Environment Programme for professionals involved in multilateral environmental negotiations.

The main task of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be to undertake research in international climate change and environmental law. She/he will contribute to the research project ‘Keeping the Arctic White,’ funded by the Academy of Finland through the Arctic Programme. This interdisciplinary research project brings together a combination of law, atmospheric physics and environmental science to study ways to strengthen the regulatory framework for reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in the Arctic. This is a new, promising area of climate policy that could slow down climate change in the short-term while simultaneously improving local air quality. The particular focus of the project will be on black carbon and methane emissions.

In addition, the Postdoctoral Researcher will be expected to contribute to the development of international climate change and environmental research at the UEF Law School and the CCEEL. The position is strongly research-oriented. In addition, the Postdoctoral Researcher will contribute to the supervision of post-graduate students whose research falls under her/his area of expertise and undertake a limited amount of teaching in the fields of international climate change and environmental law.

The research and teaching will be in English and the successful candidate must have an excellent command of English. Experience in international research cooperation and other international experience related international climate change and environmental law will be an advantage.

A person to be appointed as a postdoctoral researcher shall hold a suitable doctoral degree. (UEF Administrative Regulations 30 §). The person to be appointed to the Postdoctoral Researcher Position is required to hold a suitable doctoral degree, which may not have been completed more than five years ago at the time of accepting the position. In this context, the 5 years refer to a net period of time, which does not include maternity leaves, parental leaves, or military service, etc.

If the applicants do not possess the above mentioned eligibility for the position, an applicant with a higher university degree, who has received permission to defend a thesis, and whose research and other merits complement the research expertise shall be considered. In this case, the applicant shall be appointed as Early Stage Reseacher.

The position will be filled initially for a two-year period, preferably from 1 September 2015 onwards. Postdoctoral positions are always based on fixed-term contracts (UEF Administrative Regulations 30 §).

The salary of a Postdoctoral Researcher holding a PhD will be determined in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. It is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff (€ 2 852,00 €/kk). The salary of the Early Stage Researcher is determined in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities and is based on levels 2-4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff (€1 972.55 – 2 462.01/ month). In addition to the job requirement component, the salary includes a personal performance component, which may be a maximum of 46.3% of the job requirement component.