Postdoctoral Fellows

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, training sessions, and academic programmes that engage a diverse audience of government and private sector professionals as well as academics. 

CIL is inviting applications for Post-Doctoral Fellowship positions commencing in September 2026. Initial appointments will be for one year, with the possibility of extension to a second year contingent upon satisfactory progress during the first year.

Applications are open to prospective fellows with research projects in all areas of international law. Special consideration will be given to projects with relevance to the Asia Pacific region, to Climate Change and all areas of ASEAN Law and Policy.

Preference will be accorded to candidates aspiring to pursue an academic career, as the programme is specifically designed to support such aspirations. Alongside specialized mentoring, Fellows 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, as well as Professor Joseph Weiler who holds a regular visiting appointment at NUS.

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

1. Applicants must possess a doctoral degree in international law obtained within the past 2 years. Doctoral students expecting to defend their dissertation no later than 31 July 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 research project. 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 (i) a PDF file of the PhD dissertation, (ii) the post-doctoral research project proposal, and (iii) 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 application deadline and must address to the scholarly contribution of the dissertation and an appraisal of the proposed research project as well as the applicant's potential to conduct high-quality research. 

Application should be submitted online with the following documents via the NUS career portal. Preference will be given to applications received by 30 April 2026:

• Personal Statement (500-600 words) outlining the reasons for seeking the Fellowship, the applicant's career goals, and any other pertinent information relevant to the application.
• Full Curriculum Vitae containing complete and detailed information on academic institutions, honours, awards, publications and professional experience (current and previous, including employment dates and job descriptions).
• A copy of the doctoral dissertation as well as doctoral certification.
• A detailed Research Proposal (maximum 3000 words) outlining, inter alia, the research question(s), the proposed methodology of answering such, the anticipated contribution to the field, and 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 no more than 600 words. 
• One or two samples of published work.
• 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. 

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.