News

Currently recruiting: Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law

Published: 27 November 2015

The Faculty of Law of McGill University invites applications from scholars with an outstanding research and teaching record in the field of air or space law for the position of Director of the McGill Institute of Air and Space Law (IASL).

This position is a full-time academic appointment in the Faculty of Law, at the rank of Associate or Full Professor depending on the level of experience of the position-holder. The anticipated start date is May 1, 2017.

The IASL was created by McGill University in 1951, in the wake of the establishment by the United Nations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The IASL benefits not only from the immediate proximity of ICAO and the International Air Transport Association, but also from the fact that Montréal is a leading hub for research and development in the fields of air and space technology.

The IASL aims to: educate the next generation of air and space lawyers to serve the needs of the air and space community worldwide; be a global meeting point for critical and innovative thinking on the legal governance of air and space; publish interdisciplinary research valuable to governmental and multinational institutions, the airline and aerospace industries, and the legal profession; serve the professional educational needs of the aviation and space law bar; and create a thriving intellectual environment and professional global network for the IASL faculty, students, graduates, and experts in the field.

The new Director of the IASL is expected to lead a process of renewal in the mission, mandate and make-up of the Institute, to reflect contemporary changes and challenges in the fields of air and space law. The Director will play a leadership role to enhance the position of the IASL within the Faculty of Law, the University, and the global air and space community. This will include maintaining and further developing links with international organizations such as ICAO, IATA, and other institutions. The Director will direct efforts to increase financial support for the IASL from private and public sources.

The position will also stand as a platform for the Director to make an innovative research contribution to the theory and practice of air or space law, with support from national and international granting agencies. The Faculty maintains a research environment marked by a strong sense of collegiality through which ongoing intellectual and professional development of all professors is encouraged. In addition, the Faculty is home to a vibrant transdisciplinary research community of Institutes and Centres.

Applicants should have a graduate degree in law, with preference given to candidates who have a doctoral degree. In addition, the bilingual environment of the Faculty of Law at McGill requires that successful candidates be able to evaluate written and oral work presented in both English and French. The committee invites applications from candidates with diverse and intersecting identities whose critical perspectives are grounded in experience and scholarship.

How to apply

Applications – including a detailed cover letter, a complete curriculum vitae, up to three samples of published research, and the names and addresses of three referees – are encouraged. Consideration of files will begin as of 1 February 2016. All applications will be treated confidentially.

Applications should be addressed to Professor René Provost, Chair, Staff Appointments Committee, Faculty of Law, McGill University. Applications should preferably be sent by email to staffappointments.law [at] mcgill.ca;

Alternatively they may be mailed to:

Staff Appointments Committee
c/o Dean's Office
Faculty of Law
McGill University
3644 Peel Street
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3A 1W9


McGill University is committed to equity in employment and diversity. It welcomes applications from Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, visible minorities, women, and others who may contribute to diversification. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

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