As of 1 September 2024, Josephine van Zeben serves as the Chair of Transnational Law at the Florence STG, while also acting as the Academic Director for the Master in Transnational Governance. About her appointment, she says:
“Law plays a central role in shaping and implementing societal responses to transnational challenges. Working from within the Florence STG provides an important and enriching possibility to further conceptualise the law’s role in these processes through interactions with students, colleagues from academia, and STG fellows from practice. The Florence STG’s bridging function between EUI research and policy practice provides a unique opportunity for impact.”
Professor van Zeben’s research focuses on the regulation of environmental issues by public and private actors across jurisdictions, with a particular emphasis on polycentric governance theory and developments within the European Union. Her work is informed by her experience teaching law to non-law students and legal professionals from various jurisdictions, allowing her to explore interdisciplinary solutions to complex legal and societal challenges.
In addition to her academic work, Professor van Zeben serves as one of the editors-in-chief of Transnational Environmental Law and is the series editor for the Transnational Environmental Law book series published by Cambridge University Press. She is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Advisory Board of JPI Climate and has been an affiliate faculty member of the Ostrom Workshop since 2014.
Prior to her tenure at the Florence STG, Professor van Zeben held the position of Professor and Chair of the LAW group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands (2019-2024), and Law Fellow at Worcester College, University of Oxford (2014-2019). She has also held visiting professorships at Notre Dame Law School in the United States, Bocconi University in Italy, and La Trobe Law School in Australia. From 2012 to 2022, she taught Environmental Law and Policy at ETH Zürich.
Professor van Zeben holds a PhD in Law and Economics (cum laude) from the University of Amsterdam, LLM degrees from Harvard University and the University of Amsterdam (European Private Law), an LLB in Scots Law from the University of Edinburgh, and a BA in Social Sciences from University College Utrecht, Utrecht University.
Her appointment will enhance the academic offerings at the Florence STG, particularly in the area of environmental governance and law, and foster interdisciplinary approaches to pressing global challenges.
Read more about Josephine van Zeben.