PhD Research

Ongoing PhD research

  • Adeyegbe Olusola, Regulatory Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria: Perspectives from Emerging International Norms and Best Practices - supervisor: Prof. dr. Hendrik Schoukens
  • Delauw Karl, Wettelijke mogelijkheden voor herstel van landbouwecosystemen in de EU: versterking van biodiversiteit en duurzame landbouw - Supervisor: Prof. dr. An Cliquet
  • De Witte Lina, Towards Zero Pollution: Analysis From a Legal Perspective - Supervisor: Prof. dr. Geert Van Hoorick, Prof. dr. Delphine Misonne)
  • Hamilton Beatrice, The protection of the environment during armed conflict: The fundamental right of nature as a springboard to a new stream of environmental law for the protection of the environment during armed conflict - Supervisor: Prof. dr. An Cliquet, Prof. dr. Tom Ruys.
  • Hildt Laura, Strategic biodiversity litigation - Supervisors: Prof. dr. An Cliquet, Prof. dr. Hendrik Schoukens
  • Meertens Matilde, Power to the peatlands: Strengthening the legal framework on peatland restoration - Supervisors: Prof. dr. An Cliquet, Prof. dr. Francesco Sindico
  • Musoke Juliet, Legal Responses to Environmental Degradation and Land Governance in the Albertine Graben Region (Uganda): Analysis in light of International Environmental Law - Supervisor: Prof. dr. Hendrik Schoukens
  • Stolle Lien, A legal analysis of online intimidation tactics that aim to silence environmental defenders – Supervisor: Prof. dr. Eva Lievens, Prof. dr. An Cliquet
  • Terryn Yannick, De Illegale markt getackeld : queeste naar een adequate en geïntegreerde regelgeving ter bestraffing van de  internationale illegale handel in fauna en flora – Supervisor: Prof. dr. An Cliquet.
  • Van der Meer Pieter, Transposition of the Biodiversity Convention and the Biosafety Protocol in effective and efficient national regulatory frameworks for biosafety - Supervisors: Prof. dr. An Cliquet, Prof. dr. Godelieve Gheysen
  • Wu Eric, Ecological restoration obligations for international river basins - Supervisor: Prof. dr. An Cliquet
  • Yakushina Yana, Light pollution – Supervisor: prof. dr. Geert Van Hoorick, prof. dr. Olga Kozyr

Defended Phds

  • Ting Chen (Institutionalization of Demand-Side Management of Renewable Electricity: A Comparative Analysis between the EU and China - 2025)
  • Angelo Goethals (Legal framework for (inter)connecting the Belgian offshore wind energy farms -2025) 
  • Abdullah Örengul (European Energy Policy. Challenges and Recommendations for Legal Change and Improvement - 2024)  
  • Zhenzhen Rong (The Public Trust System as a means to advance ecological restoration in China - 2023)
  • Maja Reynebeau (The use of the (sub)soil for the construction and operation of heat networks in the Flemish Region - 2022)
  • Elien Verniers (Towards new legal instruments for animal welfare - 2022) 
  • Meng Zhang (Governance of climate technologies: the role of international environmental law in regulating and facilitating carbon capture and storage - 2021)
  • Cleo Mashini (La CITES et la lutte contre la criminalité liée aux espèces sauvages. Évaluation de l’effectivité et de l’efficacité de la CITES et de sa mise en oeuvre en Belgique et en RDC – 2021).
  • Aysegul Sirakaya (A balanced system for access and benefit-sharing of genetic – 2021).
  • Anemoon Soete (The international legal personality of island states permanently submerged due to climate change effects - (2020).- Meng Zhang (Governance of climate technologies: the role of international environmental law in regulating and facilitating carbon capture and storage – 2021)
  • Yan Liu (Legal Analysis on the Law of International Watercourses and MEAs : An Integrated Protection and Preservation of the Ecosystems of International Watercourses - 2020)
  • Lise Vandenhende (De beschermenswaardigheid van onroerend erfgoed: naar sterkere bindende criteria – 2020).
  • Yang Liu (Legal analysis on the Law of International Watercourses and MEAs : an integrated protection and preservation of the ecosystems of international watercourses – 2020).
  • Thary Derudder ( Our Past Beneath the Waves: The Legal Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage from an International, North Sea and Belgian Perspective” – 2019).
  • Robert Makgill (Sustainable management of the sea: Identifying a body of sustainable management jurisprudence composed of law of sea doctrine and New Zealand state practice - 2019).
  • Oluwamuyiwa Ojo (Enforceability of environmental rights : a possible Panacea to man’s environmental Imbroglio : Nigeria’s Niger-Delta as a case study – 2019)
  • Flavia Marisi (Environmental interests in investment arbitration – 2019)
  • Hendrik Schoukens (Ecological Restoration as New Environmental Paradigm : A Legal Review of Opportunities and Challenges within the Context of EU Environmental Law, with a Particular Focus on the EU Nature Directives – 2017)
  • Mumbala Abelungu Junior (Le Droit International Humanitaire et La Protection Des Enfants En Situation de Conflits Armés : Étude de Cas de La République Démocratique Du Congo – 2017)
  • Nicky Broeckhoven (Integrating Gender into the Rio Conventions : An International Legal Perspective – 2017)
  • Blaise-Pascal Ntirumenyerwa Mihigo (L’optimisation Juridique Du Paiement Pour Services Environnementaux En Faveur de La Préservation Des Services Environnementaux Dans Le Bassin Du Congo : Le Cas Du Cameroun et de La République Démocratique Du Congo – 2016)
  • Frederik Haentjens (Onderzoek naar de impact van de regelgeving inzake ruimtelijke ordening op de totstandkoming en de uitvoering van privaatrechtelijke overeenkomsten – 2015)
  • Olubisi Friday Oluduro (Mitigating the effects of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa via an effective international legal standard: a case study of Nigeria- 2014)
  • Ping Chen (A comparative legal study of emissions trading systems in the EU and in China – 2014)
  • Miao He (A human rights-based approach to conserve protected areas in China: Lessons from Europe - 2014)
  • Qin He (Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing: A comparative study - 2014)
  • Jimena Murillo Chavarro (The human right to water: a legal comparative perspective at the international, regional and domestic level  - 2014).
  • Nicole de Moor (International Migration and Environmental Change : Legal Frameworks for International Adaptive Migration - 2014)
  • Roel Meeus (De sanctionering door de lidstaten van inbreuken op het Europees milieurecht: tussen handhavingsnood en sanctieverplichtingen – 2013)
  • Wen Xiang (Risk governance of GMOs in the EU and in China -2013)
  • Nils Goeteyn (Decision-making, compliance and international environmental governance: a legal analysis – 2012);
  • Olubayo Oluduro (Oil exploration and human rights violations in Nigeria's oil producing communities - 2012)
  • Carole Billiet (De bestuurlijke handhaving van het milieuhygiënerecht - 2008)
  • Paul Vansant (De herstelmaatregel in het Vlaamse Decreet Ruimtelijke Ordening -2005)
  • An Cliquet (Natuurbehoud in het mariene en kustzonemilieu. Overzicht en analyse van de juridische mogelijkheden, met bijzondere aandacht voor het mariene en kustzonemilieu van België – 2001)
  • Geert Van Hoorick (Juridische instrumenten voor het natuurbehoud en de landschapszorg - 1999)
  • Luc Lavrysen (De ontwikkeling van het Europese, Belgische en Vlaamse Milieurecht in een wijzigende institutionele context - 1997)
  • Frank Maes (De bescherming van de Noordzee tegen verontreiniging veroorzaakt door de koopvaardijscheepvaart : internationale rechten en verplichtingen van staten, met bijzondere aandacht voor de Europese statenpraktijk – 1996)
  • Hubert Bocken (De aansprakelijkheid als sanctie voor de verstoring van het leefmilieu - 1979)