Programme Structure

EDLE presents a combination of course work and research. The curriculum is devised to provide advanced and challenging education both to lawyers and economists. Where applicable/possible candidates will be able to choose between basic and advanced courses depending on their educational background.

EDLE Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) Track

Empirical research is becoming more and more prevalent in legal scholarship. Although theory is important in the economic analysis of law, some questions require an evidence-based approach that would test the theories. The aim of the EDLE Empirical Track is to provide the PhD researchers with the necessary tools to understand empirical studies, to develop a critical perspective on such methods and finally, to conduct their own empirical research. This track is designed both for lawyers and for economists. Lawyers without prior background in statistical analysis will attend introductory courses before continuing to empirical studies. Economists, even with background in statistics, will benefit from this track by learning how to apply those methods to legal questions.

Research Topics

The EDLE network counts on a large faculty able to offer supervision on a very large set of topics. Depending on the academic background, the thesis can be more economically or legally oriented. Some theses are rather theoretically focused, others more policy-oriented and some are empirical. Research topics may be proposed by the candidate or by the faculty. More detailed information on research topics of interest to the Partner Universities can be found on the EDLE website.

From the first day onwards the candidates start working on their thesis, based upon the research proposal on the basis of which they were admitted to the EDLE programme. The candidate is assigned a (provisional) supervisor who will help to identify (and in many cases narrow down) a suitable thesis topic.

EDLE Academic Calendar (full cycle of the programme) (changes may apply)

During the first semester of the first year, the doctoral candidates stay in Bologna. Candidates with a legal background will be offered the possibility to attend introductory courses in Maths, Game theory, and Statistics. Candidates with a background in economics will be offered the possibility to attend advanced courses in Microeconomics, Econometrics, and Financial Economics. All candidates must take a course either in Statistics or Econometrics. They also have to take the following dedicated courses, covering the core topics of the programme: Introduction to Law and Economics; Empirical Methods for Law and Economics (*); Experimental Economics (*); Modeling Law; Behavioural Law and Economics (*); Law and Economic Development; Behavioural Game Theory; Introduction to European Competition Law; Research methods in Applied Economics.

(*) part of the EDLE Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) Track.

The EDLEs can, on a voluntary basis, take any of the courses offered by the School of Economics.

All courses require class work and participation, with assignments and presentations, and a final test. Candidates also attend Law and Economics seminars held by international scholars.

Ultimately in December all first-year candidates formulate their research question and send this to their supervisors (if already assigned) with a cc to the EDLE Academic Coordinator (edle@law.eur.nl). If not yet assigned, as soon as possible afterwards the supervisors will be assigned by the EDLE Coordination Board and communicated to the candidate.

In March all first-year candidates present in Bologna their final research proposal that includes a clearly defined research topic, research question, chosen methodology and a literature survey.

During the second semester of the first year, the doctoral candidates stay in Hamburg. In the months of April and May the doctoral candidates will attend the course “Empirical Legal Studies” (part of the EDLE Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) track).

From June to July, the doctoral candidates will participate in the four-week long Summer School in Law and Economics, a lecture series held by internationally renowned scholars. Doctoral candidates will participate in all activities offered by the Summer School programme. Topics represent research challenges of fundamental or current interest in the field of Law and Economics. Within this Summer School, EDLE candidates have the opportunity to build up an international research network with leading scholars.

In addition, doctoral students are welcome to attend the Jour Fixe seminars as well as the Hamburg Lectures in Law and Economics, a lecture series that takes place every Wednesday evening during the semester. The lectures, held by internationally renowned researchers from Germany and abroad, deal with current research results in the field of economic analysis of law and address a broad audience through their interdisciplinary approach.

During the semester in Hamburg all first-year candidates give a presentation on their introduction chapter (introduction, problem definition, research question, limitations, methodology, scientific and societal relevance, preliminary bibliography), including a summary of each planned content chapter and time schedule.

During the first semester of the second year, from September to March, candidates attend and actively take part in the cycle of EDLE, ECELS (Erasmus Centre of Empirical Legal Studies) and other relevant seminars and courses scheduled  at Erasmus School of Law. The format of these seminars includes a presentation of the candidates’ work in progress, (written) peer feedback and the discussion by a senior staff member of the faculty/institute/department, preferably (where possible) a leading researcher in the field. The mandatory courses may vary, but will include courses to (further) develop soft skills, as part of Erasmus Graduate School of Law (EGSL). The mandatory courses in the EDLE Empirical track include: Advanced Research Designs and Methods of Causal Inference, and Quantitative Text Analysis. In March the candidates take part in the Joint Seminar and give a poster presentation.

At the end of the first semester of the second year (end of March), candidates will move to one of the participating universities (their home university).

In the third year, candidates will  present their work twice at a collective workshop, organised at or by one of the Partner Universities, with the standard format (presentation + discussion by a senior staff member). In November in Bologna and in March at the Joint Seminar, organised by Rotterdam.

In all Partner Universities, attendance of courses and dedicated activities is mandatory. Any absence needs to be properly motivated and priorly approved by the Local Director of that Partner University.

The defence procedure takes up to approx. six months after completion of the draft manuscript. The general timetable is provided below.

Thesis defence – general timetable

Monitoring

The EDLE is a joint doctorate programme with joint supervision and close monitoring. Participants are asked to send bi-annual updates to their supervisors on their progress, activities undertaken during the past six months and the planning for the next six months. Furthermore, the general planning of the individual PhD trajectory is checked (on feasibility) and adjusted where necessary. The document for reporting the individual research progress will be completed gradually during the PhD.
After the first presentation in Rotterdam (December 2^nd year) an individual evaluation meeting based on the Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) takes place with at least the Rotterdam supervisor and an EDLE MT member.

Monitoring – yearly general timetable

Arun Kumar Kaushik

wrote his thesis on ‘A Law and Economics Analysis of Trade Secrets: Optimal Scope of Law, Misappropriation and Alternative Damages Regimes’ in 2015 and is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O.P. Jindal Global University in Haryana, India.

“Getting admitted to the EDLE program was one of the best things that ever happened to me. In addition to the academic excellence that is the foundation of the program, the international exposure it entails is simply commendable. Having experienced the socio-economic culture of three different countries, I gained an international perspective. It helped me to analyse issues with a global perspective. It also gave me an opportunity to attend various conferences of international importance.”

Hanneke Luth

wrote her thesis on ‘Behavioural economics in consumer policy’, published in the Series European Studies on Law & Economics, Intersentia, Antwerp, in 2010. Hanneke is working as a self-employed management and strategy consultant, specialising in cyber and information security issues.

“Being part of the EDLE group enables you to discuss your research with like-minded people from all over the world. Your academic skills will be broadened not only in regard to your own research topic, but in the entire field of Law & Economics. My research on the Regulation of Consumer Protection has brought me to a number of academic conferences and also to meetings at the European Commission. For me, deciding to participate in the EDLE programme was one of the best decisions I ever made. The EDLE is full of opportunities. It is up to you to take full advantage.”

Sofia Amaral-Garcia

defended her thesis ‘Quantifying the Economics of Medical Malpractice: A view from a civil law perspective’ on 29 November 2011 and currently holds a Post-Doc at the Professorship for Law at the ETH Zurich.

“The EDLE program has definitely changed my life. While I was doing my PhD I was able to discuss research ideas, present my work, and attend several international conferences. I was also very fortunate: being part of the EDLE gave me the opportunity to discuss with leading scholars, see the work they are doing, going to conferences and being introduced to the fascinating world of Law & Economics. Moreover, having colleagues from so many different countries is an amazing experience. This was a unique opportunity!”

Alexander Vasa

successfully defended his thesis on ‘The Effectiveness of the Clean Development Mechanism – A law and economics analysis’ in 2012.

“The EDLE programme enabled me to have the freedom to research and to discuss my work with critical thinkers within and outside of the EDLE community. During the programme I was able to gain practical experience, as well as to apply this experience in a theoretical framework. EDLE provided me with the opportunity to present my research at international conferences in France, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland just to name a few. Further it gave me the chance of participating in several summer schools held by top professors in the fields of competition, regulation, international law and economics, as well as empirical methods. I am glad that I participated in the EDLE. The new structure seems even to multiply the opportunities for new students.”

Elena Reznichenko-Kantorowicz

wrote her thesis on ‘Cost-Effective Criminal Enforcement: A Law and Economics Approach’ in 2015 and is currently working as a researcher and lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

“Taking part in the EDLE programme gave me a great opportunity to conduct my research in the area of economic analysis of criminal law. During this programme I received a lot of support and guidance from outstanding professors and peers. It enabled me to present my ideas in different conferences to a multidisciplinary audience. This experience enriched my knowledge and understanding of this fascinating field of research.”

Ayman Fouda

Ayman Fouda defended his thesis titled “Multi-Principal Agency and the Compliance with Professional Guidelines in Health Systems: Economic and Regulatory Perspectives” in 2022 and is currently working as an assistant professor (FH) at MCI | THE ENTREPRENEURIAL UNIVERSITY GROUP®.

“The EDLE program enabled me to research how legal and financial tools can regulate physicians’ clinical decisions in health markets. The program allowed me to explore different academic cultures and, more importantly, to develop my empirical knowledge and skills almost from scratch. I was lucky to work, meet, and connect with some brilliant minds across the EDLE universities whose comments and remarks on my research were pivotal for my development as a researcher.”

Chih-Ching Lan

Chih-Ching Lan defended her thesis on ‘A Law and Economic Analysis of Policy Instruments to Prevent Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Tropics’ in 2019 and is currently working as a Sustainability Project Manager at an offshore wind developer.

“The EDLE programme provided an enabling environment to strengthen my research focus and expertise in the field of Environmental Law and Economics. During the years in EDLE, not only did I receive strong guidance and support, but also there were valuable opportunities and sufficient autonomy to explore and grow as an independent researcher. I traveled to numerous European countries for conferences and seminars but also had the chance to visit places such as Jakarta and Yaoundé. The program moreover presented a broad multidisciplinary network, which was an ideal place for me to integrate and formulate sustainability research with other important adjacent field of studies. EDLE advanced my professionalism and competence that are fundamental for my subsequent career development.”

Bryan Khan

defended his thesis titled ‘An Economic Analysis of the Intellectual Property Rights of Broadcasting Organisations’ in 2019. He is currently working as a legal researcher with the University of Turin, and is an independent consultant in Intellectual Property.

“Choosing the EDLE programme was one of the best academic decisions I ever made, and opened so many new doors – both in terms of career opportunities and intellectual curiosity. The fascinating thing about Law and Economics is that since its scholarly methodology can be applied to such a wide range of topics and issues, graduate research in this field truly expands one’s portfolio and skillset no matter what niche you specialise in for your own research. During my time at EDLE, I had the opportunity to learn from so many great economists and legal experts, all while maintaining remarkable flexibility to craft my own research path. Needless to say that this is much enhanced by the multicultural and international environment of the programme, which embraces diversity and inclusion.”