Postdoctoral Fellow in Legal Studies

International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID)

HSE University

Moscow, Russia  

The Higher School of Economics Laboratory for International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) in Moscow, Russia, invites applications for postdoctoral research positions in the field of legal studies.

For more than 20 years after the beginning of economic transition the problem of independence of courts, development of a legal community and estimation of the quality of the law enforcement system has remained important for Russia. In 2015 ICSID team carried out a representative survey of 3,317 advokaty in 35 regions of Russia. The survey was conducted using a formalized questionnaire distributed through regional branches of the Russian Federal Bar Association. In addition, in 2018-2020 ICSID team collected more than 40 biographical interviews with representatives of the legal community (attorneys, corporate lawyers, in-house lawyers etc.).

Current topics of interest include professionalism and staff training of the legal profession, development of legal profession in contemporary Russia (with the focus on in-house lawyers and corporate lawyers), collective action in the legal profession (including pro bono practices), factors of court decisions, comparative studies of legal profession in Post-Soviet countries etc. Successful candidates will participate in ongoing research on these topics at ICSID. Candidates whose research contains a comparative perspective or focuses on other contexts than Russia are also encouraged to apply.   

Researchers are invited to use other databases of ICSID (https://iims.hse.ru/en/csid/databases), e.g. a database on economic and political indicators for the Russian regions, a dataset about biographies and connections of 897 governors and representatives of the federal elite in 2000-2012, 3448 officials from the regional elite (in 2000-2012), 829 mayors (in 1996-2012). We also use other sources of information such as the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), World Value Survey, European Values Study etc.

About HSE University

The Higher School of Economics (HSE University) is a young, dynamic and fast-growing Russian research university. Over the past 25 years, HSE University has become a leader in Russian education, while also being recognized globally.

For instance, we were the first state-run university in Russia to begin recruiting on the international academic market. We aim at being a university with a highly attuned approach to training new professionals. Therefore, we are eager to hire people with real experience, as well as basic and applied knowledge. Committed to high-quality research, HSE University now has more than 100 research institutes and centres and over 30 international research laboratories collaborating with international specialists from all over the world.

Requirements

The general requirements for the postdoctoral fellowship positions are the following:

• a PhD in Legal Studies, Law and Economics, Political Science or Sociology (got during last 5 years but before the start of the program);
• ability to work in a team;
• quantitative skills, ability to carry out research using Stata/R/SPSS/ similar software to meet standards of academic journals;
• peer-reviewed publications, working papers or a job market paper in the field will be a strong advantage;
• working language is English, knowledge of the Russian language is an asset, but is not required.

The position involves:

• working in the research group with Dr. Andrei Yakovlev (ayakovlev@hse.ru) Dr. Anton Kazun (akazun@hse.ru) and Dr. Kathryn Hendley .
• possibility to collaborate with the ICSID team (https://iims.hse.ru/en/csid/persons) and associate fellows (https://iims.hse.ru/en/csid/members).
• successful candidates are encouraged to pursue their own research in parallel with the ongoing research at ICSID
• writing research papers for international peer-reviewed journals in co-authorship with ICSID researchers
• some teaching as well as one or two public presentations of the candidate’s own research are also encouraged
• participation in organization of events and other contributions to the development of ICSID

Conditions

Appointments are normally made for one year (from September 2021). Postdoctoral fellows have an opportunity of renewal of the contract (no more than two times).

HSE University offers postdoctoral fellows a competitive salary (150k rubles per month) , the standard medical insurance plan, a working space equipped with a computer and free Internet access at the University.

The Center offers access to its unique databases on socio-economic indicators of the Russian regions, political elites and historical roots of institutions in Russia. ICSID also provides all necessary support for research such as up-to-date analytical software, funding for attendance at international conferences and research assistantship. Moreover, the HSE library provides access to a large collection of academic journals.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online. Please provide a CV, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper submitted via the online application form. At least two letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru before the application deadline. Please note that direct applications to the hiring center may not be reviewed.

Read more about the application process here.

The deadline for the applications is February 14, 2021.

For more information:

• about Postdoctoral Fellowship - Frequently Asked Questions
• about HSE university – official web-site
• about the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) in Moscow, Russia – official web-site of the Centre

or contact Valeriya Kotelnikova, a manager of the center directly

• about international specialists' life in Moscow - International Faculty Support page

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru