Current PhD supervisions

Researchers who completed their postgraduate degrees (QU Belfast, University of Leeds)

While I was professor in the UK, six PhD researchers, one Juris Doctor (taught doctorate) and one master by research have successfully completed their degrees under my primary or joint supervision. [more]

• ‘Equality and non-discrimination in the post-Yugoslav space: Intersectionality under law in Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia’ Biljana Kotevska, funded by the School of Law International PGR Scholarship, Queen’s University Belfast. I was the primary supervisor, and Prof Christopher McCrudden the second supervisor. The viva was held on 24 March 2020 with Professor Sandra Fredman, Oxford University, as external and Professor Colin Harvey, Queen’s University Belfast, as internal examiner. Minor revisions were completed on 5 May 2020. Dr Biljana Kotevska has secured a post as Research coordinator, expert and consultant at the European Policy Centre (Skopje), in which capacity she advises IGOs and NGOs, including the EU, COE and OSCE.

• ‘Platform-mediated work in the gig economy through the lens of the EU social acquis’, Bartolomej Bednarowicz, funded by the Belgian research council. This thesis, supervised by the doctoral committee consisting of Professor Herwig Verschueren & Daniël Cuypers (both University of Antwerp) and myself (then Queen’s University Belfast), was examined in a public defence on 13 February 2020, with Professor   Petra Foubert, University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Professor Valerio de Stefano, KU Leuven, Belgium as external examiners. Dr Bartolomej Bednarowicz has secured a post with the EU Commission, and remains attached to University of Antwerp as a researcher.

• ‘Intersectional inequalities in divided societies – the impact of European and national law and politics on gender, religion and ethnicity [comparing Belgium and Northern Ireland]’ Clare Rice (ORCID), funded by Northern Irish Department of Education and Learning (DEL). I was the first supervisor (then Queen’s University Belfast) and Prof Yvonne Galligan, OBE, then Queen’s University Belfast, the second supervisor. The viva voce examination took place 10 January 2020, with Professor Christa Tobler, University of Basel & University of Leiden as external and Professor Colin Harvey, Queen’s University Belfast, as internal examiner. Minor revisions we completed in February 2020. Dr Clare Rice secured a post-doc position even before graduating with the “Performing Identities” project (https://performingidentities.org/about/) .

• ‘Ex Gratia to Ex Lege: A Normative Framework Facilitating Refuge Beyond the Borders of Canada’ Miss Shaghayegh ‘Shay’ Beigi, thesis for completing the JD programme at Queen’s University Belfast. Professor Colin Harvey was the first supervisor, and I co-supervised. The viva voce examination took place on 27 June 2019, with Dr Fergus Ryan, University of Ireland Maynooth as external and Dr Ronagh McQuigg, Queen’s University Belfast, as internal examiner.

• Higher Education under EU Law Constraints (Andrea Gideon), second supervisor Dr Ann Blair (University of Leeds). Andrea Gideon’s research into the interrelation of EU competition law and research funding in higher education was funded through the William Harrison Scholarship covering the study-fees, while she self-funded her maintenance as a research assistant first for the EESCATL Jean Monnet Multilateral Research Group, and then for the funded phase of my Jean Monnet ad personam Chair, while also working as a teaching assistant for EU law. Her degree was awarded immediately after the viva voce on 23 April 2014 (examined by Prof Michael Cardwell, University of Leeds, as internal and Prof Michael Dougan, University of Liverpool, as external examiner), since no amendments were necessary. From August 2014, Dr Andrea Gideon has been a lecturer at University of Liverpool, School of Law, and was seconded to the Centre for Law & Business, Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore, as a post-doctoral researcher from August 2015-2017, and again for a year from August 2018, for an externally funded research project. Based on her thesis, Andrea published the monograph ’s thesis was published as “Higher Education Institutions in the EU: Between Competition and Public Service” with Springer Publishers (2017).

• EU Non-discrimination Law in the Courts:  a multi-layered comparison of juridical approaches to (in)direct sex and sexualities discrimination in EU law and its implementation in Germany and the Netherlands’ (Jule Mulder), second supervisor Dr Julie Jule’s research was funded through the Leeds School of Law Research Scholarship and awarded a competitive WUN scholarship for a position as visiting academic at the University of Utrecht in 2009. She was examined on 14 October 2013 (by Professor Anna Lawson, University of Leeds, and Professor Tonia Novitz, University of Liverpool), and has been awarded the degree of PhD without having to amend her submitted thesis. Also, she achieved a special recognition for the outstanding excellence of her thesis. On the basis of her publications undertaken and her excellent PhD, Jule initially secured a lecturer post at the University of Leicester and has now moved on to the University of Bristol (Jule Mulder). Based on her thesis, Jule Mulder published the monograph “EU Non-Discrimination Law in the Courts. Approaches to Sex and Sexualities Discrimination in EU law” with Hart Publishing (2017).

• ‘Participation of EU citizens after the Treaty of Lisbon’ (Karmelia Yiannakou, Master by Research), 2010-2011 (my sole supervision at the University of Leeds). Karmelia secured a PhD scholarship at the University of Southampton in autumn 2011 among others on the basis of her excellent Master thesis.

While working at University of Leeds, I was the first supervisor of two further PhD researchers, whose supervision was continued by other colleagues.  [more]

• „Is a Race to the Bottom the inevitable flipside of minimum harmonisation of farm animal welfare in EU agricultural law? A critique of how EU legislation addresses tensions between animal welfare and economic aims, based on a comparison between its implementation in Sweden and England” (Moa Näsström). I continued supervising Moa as the first supervisor until the submission of a first complete draft of the thesis and her registration for examination, having approached and proposed the external and internal examiner, in November 2015. Dr Jen Hendry (University of Leeds) was the second supervisor. Moa was examined on 24 June 2016 and awarded her PhD subsequently (Examiners: Prof Chris Rodgers – Newcastle - und Prof Michael Cardwell - Leeds). She moved on to become a visiting researcher with Swedish universities.

• ‘The Future of Europe's Social Model: Can a Union-wide Minimum Wage Promote Closer Integration?’ (George Wilson) – funded by the Leeds School of Law Research Scholarship, and through a competitive WUN scholarship at der University of Wisconsin / Madison (USA) in 2014 (facilitated by my prior contact to Prof Myra Marx Feree at the Wisconsin Centre of European Studies). George decided to change supervisors when I changed university, and completed his PhD in December 2018 (first supervisor from November 2014: Prof Stijn Smismans, University of Cardiff, 2nd supervisor Dr Jen Hendry, University of Leeds).

I also was second supervisor for two PhD researchers (Alicia Epstein, researching on food security and EU law, and having graduated November 2016, with Prof Michael Cardwell as a first supervisor, and Huang, Yi [Wendy], researching on ‘Adult guardianship reform in China in the context of the UN CRPD, with Prof Anna Lawson as first supervisor, who graduated in summer 2016.