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International law and the psychological impact of warfare on civilians

Drawing on the emerging field of psychology of international law, the PhD student will examine how international law discusses or should discuss civilian mental harm in warfare from a substantive as well as procedural point of view. This would entail doctrinal or empirical research in public international law and its more specific fields, such as international humanitarian law or international human rights law as well as interdisciplinary interests in mental health sciences. The project is suitable for candidates already having a legal background and interested in specializing in public international law as well as for psychologists interested in researching the international legal regulation of civilian war trauma such as PTSD or depression.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the above PhD topic please follow the steps below:

  1. Contact the supervisor by email or phone to discuss your interest and find out if you would be suitable. Supervisor details can be found on this topic page. The supervisor will guide you in developing the topic-specific research proposal, which will form part of your application.
  2. Click on the 'Apply here' button on this page and you will be taken to the relevant PhD course page, where you can apply using an online application.
  3. Complete the online application indicating your selected supervisor and include the research proposal for the topic you have selected.

Good luck!

This is a self funded topic

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.

Meet the Supervisor(s)


Solon Solomon - Dr Solon Solomon is Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Division of Public & International Law at Brunel University London, having established and serving as co-Director of the BUL International Law Group and heading the BUL Emerging Law Voices interview series on YouTube and on Spotify. Former Member of the Knesset Legal Department on international and constitutional issues and holder of the George Weber Award from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he has held visiting positions in a number of academic institutions including King's College London, Humboldt zu Berlin, Tel Aviv University and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He is currently co-convenor of the International Law Section in the Society of Legal Scholars, covering the United Kingdom and Ireland. Dr Solomon's research lies on the interdisciplinarity between psychology and international law. He is the author of The Justiciability of International Disputes (WLP, 2009) cited before the Permanent Court of Arbitration and co-editor of the volume Applying International Humanitarian Law in Judicial and Quasi-Judicial Bodies: International and Domestic Aspects (TMC Asser Press, 2014), presented in a special event in The Hague by the then serving judges Sir Christopher Greenwood and Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, the British judge to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court's President. His research has appeared in a number of journals including the Journal of International Dispute Settlement, the Journal of Conflict & Security Law, the Chinese Journal of International Law, the Nordic Journal of International Law and the German Law Journal. He has rendered lectures and talks in various academic venues, most notably at the University of Cambridge, the Harvard Law School, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University. He sits on the Editorial Board of the Military Law and the Law of War Review, published under the auspices of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War. Dr Solomon holds a PhD from King’s College London Dickson Poon School of Law, an LLM in Public International Law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a First-Class Honors Bachelor of Laws from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.  He has extensive media presence, with his views hosted in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The BBC, Newsweek Magazine, The Times, The Financial Times, The Globe & Mail,The Straits Times and Haaretz. https://open.spotify.com/show/5XR5C2FHtTGYT1XuRfl164 https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kNDc2YjFmOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw 

Related Research Group(s)

International Law

International Law - Addressing the fields of public international law, from human rights law to refugee law, the laws of war, international criminal law and dispute resolution.