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Announcement: Post-Doctoral Fellowships (Centre for International Law – National University of Singapore)

By January 27, 2026Developments

Position Description

The Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore is a university-level research centre, with the mission of producing cutting edge research on international law. It is also at the forefront of capacity-building initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region through workshops, conferences, trainings and academic programmes reaching a diverse audience of government and private sector professionals as well as academics. 

CIL is inviting applications for Post-Doctoral Fellow positions set to begin in September 2026. Initial appointments will be for one (1) year, with the potential for a second-year extension contingent upon satisfactory progress during the first year.

Applications are open to prospective Fellows with research projects in international law with preference to projects  focusing on ASEAN Law and Policy, Climate Change , and the Asia-Pacific region.

Preference will be accorded to candidates aspiring to pursue an academic career, as the program is specifically designed to support such aspirations. Alongside specialized mentoring, the Fellow will have opportunities to participate in workshops which involves all aspects of academic life, including research design, writing, teaching and examination, publication strategies, supervision, and enhancing methodological skills. 

The program is directed by Dr. Nilufer Oral, Director of CIL and member of the International Law Commission and  Professor Joseph Weiler who holds a regular visiting appointment position at NUS.

Qualifications

The selection committee will consider the following criteria in making appointments:

  1. Applicants must possess a doctoral degree in international law obtained within the last 2 years. Doctoral students expecting to defend their dissertation no later than July 31st 2026 may also apply.
  2. The primary selection criterion will be the applicant’s potential for excellence in research and the quality and originality of his /her proposed project of research. The quality of the doctoral dissertation as well as any other publications will be the primary evidence of such potential. The application must be accompanied by: (1) a PDF file of the PhD dissertation, (2) the post-doctoral research project proposal, and (3) one or two samples of published work. 
  3. Three letters of reference are required, one of which, ideally, would be from the PhD Supervisor and/or a member of the Examining Committee. The reference letters should be sent confidentially directly to Ms Huong Tam (huong.tam@nus.edu.sg) by the deadline for applications and must address the scholarly contribution of the dissertation and an appraisal of the proposed research project as well as the the applicant’s potential to conduct high-quality research.

Benefits

The Fellow will be offered a competitive salary package, along with travel assistance and housing benefits for those who qualify. Additionally, a minimum budget of S$5,000 will be designated to facilitate participation in regional and international conferences, with the possibility of securing further funds upon the CIL Director’s approval. The Fellow will also have shared office space within CIL.

Programme Requirements

  1. The Fellow will develop and carry out the research project as outlined in the application. He/she will be expected to take an active part in the post-doctoral academic community: workshops, presentations, commenting on colleagues work and the like.
  2. The expectation is that the Fellow will publish or have accepted for publication one or two articles in well-recognised peer-reviewed outlets or have a book proposal accepted by a reputable publisher.
  3. The Fellow will be encouraged to present his/her research and give papers at academic conferences at NUS and elsewhere.
  4. Subject to the standard NUS terms of annual leave, the Fellow will be expected to be in residence throughout the term of their appointment. In addition to annual leave, the Fellow may apply for leave to undertake research and fieldwork overseas, subject to the approval of the CIL Director.

Application Procedure

Application should be submitted online with the following documents via the NUS career portal:

  1. Personal Statement (500-600 words): to outline the reasons for seeking the Fellowship, the career goals of the applicant and any other relevant data which the applicant thinks may be relevant in considering the application.
  2. Full Curriculum Vitae containing complete and detailed information on academic institutions, honours, awards, publications and professional experience (current and previous, including dates of employment and job descriptions).
  3. A copy of the doctoral dissertation as well as doctoral certification.
  4. A detailed Research Proposal (3000 words max.) outlining, inter alia, the research question(s), the projected methodology of answering such, and the projected contribution to the field and the expected deliverables (e.g. book, articles).The title of the proposal should clearly indicate the nature of the research project and the proposal should include an executive summary of the proposal of no more than 600 words. 
  5. One or two samples of published work.
  6. Letters of Recommendation: The application must be supported by three written references from academic referees. Referees should be requested to send their confidential reference directly to Ms Huong Tam. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. 

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