The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a PhD in the Humanities grant to the Department of History of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). The winner of the PhD grant is Pieter Zhao, who will conduct research on the international norms of maritime warfare and security following the re-emergence of non-state actors and irregular forces at sea in the 21st century.
Pieter Zhao is one of 20 PhD students to receive funding from the NWO's PhD in the Humanities programme. Its aim is to boost the recruitment and advancement of research talent in the Humanities. The funders are the Sustainable Humanities Programme Office and the NWO Social Sciences and Humanities Domain. A total of over 4.6 million euros was involved in this round of awards.
The Return of the Privateers?
Zhao's research at ESHCC focuses on international standards around maritime security and warfare. The maritime warfare and security landscape of the 21st century is gradually changing. We see this through the spread of so-called irregular maritime security threats such as piracy, maritime terrorism and illegal fishing, combined with the rise of gray-zone warfare and irregular warfare at sea, such as in the South and East China Seas. Are these developments causing a re-emergence of an international norm in which the maritime warfare and security domain encompasses a variety of actors in addition to the state maritime forces that enjoyed a maritime monopoly of force for almost two centuries?
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Read more about the PhDs in the Humanities 2024 on the website of NWO.