Dr. Rak Kim

Biography

Rakhyun E. Kim is an Associate Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, where he leads a five-year European Research Council Starting Grant project titled 'problem shifting,' focusing on international environmental treaty regimes. As a trained interdisciplinary scholar with a PhD from the Fenner School at the Australian National University, Kim explores the intersection of global environmental governance and international environmental law. His research contributes to advancing theories of Earth system law and governance, particularly regarding the interaction of international regimes, agreements, and organizations within complex institutional architectures. He has (co)authored over 100 publications, including the edited volume 'Architectures of Earth System Governance: Institutional Complexity and Structural Transformation' (Cambridge University Press, 2020). In addition to his research roles, Kim contributes to leadership in the Earth System Governance Project, co-leads the Task Force on Earth System Law, and participates in the Task Force on Ocean Governance. He serves on editorial boards for prominent journals such as Global Environmental Politics and Earth System Governance. As a Lead Author for the United Nations Environment Programme's Global Environment Outlook (2019), he has also co-authored the 10-year Science Implementation Plan of the Earth System Governance Project and is currently involved in the United Nations World Ocean Assessment expected in 2025. At Utrecht University, Kim teaches BSc and MSc programs and supervises research students, having overseen the completion of five PhD projects and currently supervising six others. His teaching efforts have earned him nominations for the university-wide Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019 and 2022, and he received the Oran R. Young Prize in 2013.

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Awards