Location: Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki

Start Date: March/April 2026

Duration: 2 years, with a possibility of extension for an additional 2 years based on performance

Application Deadline: 26 January 2026

Application link: Doctoral Researcher: Blockchain for Biodiversity: Addressing Regulatory Deadlock in International Law to Enable Sustainable Seed Innovation

About the Position

Hanken School of Economics invites applications for a full-time doctoral researcher (PhD) position within the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project Blockchain for Biodiversity (ReSeed).

The selected candidate will join an interdisciplinary team exploring how digital technologies can support sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity conservation, and equitable benefit-sharing..

This PhD position is part of Work Package 3 (WP3) of the ReSeed project

Research Focus (Work Package 3)

WP3 focuses on demonstrating how the ReSeed solution can be integrated into existing international regulatory frameworks with minimal legal amendments, thereby helping to overcome the current regulatory deadlock around digital sequence information (DSI) and access and benefit-sharing.

The doctoral researcher will examine, in particular, the interaction between ReSeed and the following frameworks:

• The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Seed Treaty)
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing
• The UPOV Convention
• Relevant national legal frameworks in India and Europe, including biodiversity law and plant variety protection regimes

A central objective of the project is to support the practical realization of in situ agrobiodiversity conservation by creating fair, transparent, and traceable mechanisms for (i) equitable participation by all stakeholders in the international agricultural innovations ecosystem; and (ii) creating on- and off-chain incentives for revival of indigenous farming systems and sharing of traditional ecological knowledge.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct fieldwork in India, engaging with farmer communities and NGOs, together with the law and social sciences researchers of the team.
• Conduct a systematic interdisciplinary literature review, including academic scholarship and relevant case law in India and Europe, following and expanding established methodological approaches.
• Carry out comparative legal and regulatory analysis of international and national frameworks governing plant genetic resources, DSI, farmers’ rights, and intellectual property.
• Participate in and contribute to research stays and/or conduct interviews with key regulatory and institutional actors, including:
• The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)
• The UN FAO - Seed Treaty
• Legal experts on Indian and European Biodiversity Law and the Plant Variety Protection law
• Empirically document legal, procedural, and institutional challenges encountered in accessing both digital and analogue plant data and resources.
• Develop evidence-based legal and policy recommendations on how blockchain-based solutions such as ReSeed can be integrated into existing national and international legal frameworks with minimal legal reform.
• Disseminate research findings through high quality multi-disciplinary academic publications, policy-oriented outputs, and presentations at international conferences, together with the multi-disciplinary ReSeed team.

Essential Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Law, International law, Intellectual property law, Law and Economics
• Strong, demonstrable interest in international regulatory frameworks, biodiversity law, plant variety protection law, and regulation of emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated ability or strong motivation to conduct doctrinal and empirical legal research, as well as extensive field work in rural India.
• Willingness to undertake international research stays in Europe and India.
• Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English.
• Willingness to work closely with a multi-disciplinary team

In order to be accepted as a Doctoral Researcher at Hanken, applicants must fulfill the formal admission requirements for PhD studies. Please ensure that all required attachments are submitted, as they are essential for the academic evaluation of your application. Only applications and attachments sent in through the recruitment system LAURA will be considered. See link here Doctoral Researcher: Blockchain for Biodiversity: Addressing Regulatory Deadlock in International Law to Enable Sustainable Seed Innovation

Desirable Qualifications

• Knowledge of Indian languages and culture is a plus but is not mandatory
• Familiarity with the science of plant breeding, agroecology and indigenous farming systems is advantageous
• Experience with empirical legal research, qualitative interviews, or policy-oriented research.
• Prior exposure to interdisciplinary research environments.
• Knowledge of blockchain technology and related concepts is an advantage but not mandatory.

We Offer

• An opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge, impact-driven ERC-funded research at the intersection of law, ethics, sustainable agriculture and emerging technology.
• A stimulating and internationally oriented research environment at Hanken School of Economics.
• Close supervision within a leading research group working on blockchain, biodiversity, and global justice.
• Funding for research-related travel, institutional research stays, and conference participation.

Further Information and Application

For further information, please contact Prof Mrinalini Kochupillai at [email protected].

Please submit all application materials in English. The application deadline is 26 January 2026.