Research Assistant in Decolonising Law/EU Law

Internal Applicants Only

Deadline: 15 November 2023

Professor Iyiola Solanke is looking for a research assistant to help with project on a Decolonial Approach to EU Law.

Project Description

This project aims to consider ‘Decolonisation of EU law’ as a starting point for examinations of EU law and EU integration.  This methodology invites us to de-centralise ‘euro-centric’ world views and ways of seeing – to describe European law as Eurocentric may sound like a contradiction but as Hesselink points out, this only appears contradictory from a Eurocentric point of view. This approach offers a shift of vision from the mainstream to the margins and a way to “shake off a commitment to colonial ways of thinking” (Meghji 2020) for example, the common idea that all black people in Europe are ‘really’ from somewhere else. Perhaps most importantly, a decolonial approach to EU law can open up the world of European integration and EU law to a new generation of scholars and audiences who have hitherto not engaged with these areas of study due to the current predominance of exclusive perspectives.

Tasks for the Research Assistant will be:

• Creation of a literature review on Decolonising Law/ EU Law/ EU Studies
• Creation of a list of speakers for the Decolonising Law Discussion Group for 2024
• Organisation of the seminars for the Decolonising Law Discussion Group (travel, schedule, room bookings, refreshments etc)
• Writing short (500 words) blogs summarising each event
• Support with drafting of book proposal

Duration and hours

Working hours: a total of up to 100 hours across the duration of the project, to be agreed with the project supervisor.

Start date: November 27th 2023

Date by which the work must be completed: July 31st 2024

Reporting

The Research Assistant will report to Professor Iyiola Solanke.

Requirements

• A good understanding of the field of decolonial studies is essential.
• A demonstrated commitment to the intellectual agenda underpinning decolonisation is essential
• Experience of managing social media communications is desirable.
• Good spreadsheet (Excel) skills are desireable. 
• A knowledge of EU law is desirable.
• Experience of empirical research is desirable.

Your normal place of work will be the St Cross Building or the Manor Road Building, Manor Road.  However, provided you have the agreement of your PI/Supervisor, and a suitable space to work (including library access if required), it may be possible to undertake the work remotely, which could be anywhere in the UK.   

Please note that you will be required to complete a Right to Work check before starting work. The Law Faculty HR Team will contact you directly to arrange for the appropriate check to take place. What is a right to work check? | Staff Immigration (ox.ac.uk)

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to current graduate students in the Faculty of Law and the hours are in line with the restrictions on working hours for students within the Law Faculty.

It is expected that the work will be undertaken in the UK. 

Rate of Pay

The work will be paid at £17.03 per hour, which equates to University Grade 6, point 1, on the basis of completed and approved timesheets, which must be submitted to payroll@law.ox.ac.uk by the last Friday of each calendar month for payment on the last working day of the following month.

In addition, paid annual leave will be assumed to be taken in the month in which it was accrued.

Funding

This opportunity is funded by a Higher Studies Fund award (BADHS520).

How to Apply

A short CV and cover letter (including the name of your supervisor) should be sent by email to iyiola.solanke@law.ox.ac.uk by Wednesday 15 November 2023. Please explain how you meet the requirements for the role, and give details of your availability. Supervisors may be asked for a reference. 

Enquiries about the project are welcome, and may be addressed to Iyiola Solanke. General queries, e.g. about the appointment process, or eligibility, may be addressed to research@law.ox.ac.uk.