Charles University, Faculty of Law, invites applications for a full-time or part-time Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for the Interregional Study of Constitutionalism (IISC) in Prague.
The position is supported by the ERC Consolidator Grant RECONCILE and the Center for Inequality and Open Society (CIOS) www.RECONCILE / www.CIOS.
The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research program examining how constitutionalism can contribute to collective political identity and political community. The position focuses on comparative constitutional law and, in particular, on the ways constitutional courts articulate, preserve, and transform understandings of political community. Constitutional identity is one important entry point, but the project is not primarily concerned with the technical relationship between national and supranational legal orders. It asks more broadly how courts mobilize constitutional principles, historical narratives, founding moments, sovereignty, religion, and other sources of constitutional meaning.
The research will compare selected European and MENA constitutional systems while remaining open to analogous doctrines and vocabularies across different constitutional traditions.
Your Tasks
- Conduct comparative analysis of constitutional and supreme-court jurisprudence across selected constitutional systems.
- Examine constitutional identity and related doctrines as forms of judicial construction of political community.
- Analyze the legal, historical, political, and normative sources mobilized in constitutional reasoning.
- Contribute to the Institute’s broader theory of community-building constitutionalism and collaborate with researchers across disciplines.
- Publish in leading academic journals and present research at major international conferences.
- Contribute to the wider scientific work of the IISC.
Your Profile
- A Ph.D. in constitutional law, public law, comparative law, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated excellence in analyzing constitutional jurisprudence and primary legal materials.
- A genuinely comparative orientation across distinct constitutional systems, legal traditions, or political contexts. Research extending beyond the conventional EU-law framework is particularly welcome.
- A background in constitutional theory, legal theory, political theory, or political philosophy is an advantage.
- A strong publication record appropriate to career stage and excellent written and spoken English.
- We particularly encourage applications from researchers who completed their Ph.D. within the last three years. Outstanding candidates at other early-career stages are also welcome.
- Willingness to reside in Prague for the duration of the appointment.
What We Offer
- An initial two-year appointment, renewable.
- Gross monthly salary of approximately CZK 75,000.
- Flexible working conditions within a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.
- The Institute aims to build a stable long-term research team and, where academic performance, funding, and institutional conditions permit, to offer successful researchers opportunities for continued employment.
- Start date: as soon as possible, by agreement.
How to Apply
Application deadline: October 20, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early applications are strongly encouraged.
Please submit in a single PDF:
- a cover letter briefly explaining how your previous research and comparative-law experience relate to the position and how you would approach work across different constitutional contexts;
- CV;
- one relevant publication or writing sample;
- names and contact details of two referees, who will be contacted only with your agreement.
Applications should be emailed to Jana Malucha (maluchaj@prf.cuni.cz). For academic inquiries, contact Volker Kaul (kaulv@prf.cuni.cz).