Eduardo Cavalcanti de Mello Filho, UCL200 Faculty of Laws Research Scholar

What motivated you to apply for a PhD at UCL Laws, and what are you most enjoying so far about your programme and the faculty?

The main reason I applied for this PhD was that my prospective supervisor is at UCL Laws. In addition, my research benefits immensely from UCL’s centrality in London, as I examine the origins and contemporary developments of the regulation of navigational and non-navigational activities at sea. I was also reassured by UCL Laws’ strong reputation for research in the United Kingdom. 

So far, I have enjoyed the programme’s focus on equipping research students with the skills and practical knowledge needed to thrive, while more substantive help is provided through close supervision. I particularly appreciate that this is done while fostering strong bonds among research students, especially within the same cohort.

What is the focus of your research at UCL Laws?

My research concerns the role of the home State of ocean users in the international law of the sea. This branch of law has traditionally focussed on the flag State, meaning the home State of the ship. My research shifts the focus to the State of nationality of the individuals and corporations carrying out activities at sea, or that otherwise exercises effective control over them. I examine the rights and, in particular, the obligations of States regarding their subjects’ activities at sea, even when these activities take place on board a vessel flying a foreign flag. Thus, for example, I am less interested in Panama as the flag State than in the State of nationality of a ship’s beneficial owner or of a biotech or fisheries company.

How does receiving the UCL200 Faculty of Laws Research Scholarship support your research, and what does it mean to you personally or academically?

It makes my research possible. As I have come from a full-time research position, I would not undertake a research commitment without the means of subsistence. At the same time, my educational background is not one in which students are commonly distinguished through scholarship awards, so receiving this support is also personally validating as I come to the United Kingdom.

How did you first hear about the scholarship, and what was your experience of the application process?

I first heard about it while I was applying for the PhD programme. The application process was clear and straightforward.

What does being part of the UCL200 celebrations mean to you?

It strengthens my sense of belonging. As an MPhil/PhD student, rather than an undergraduate, this sense of identification and institutional pride is perhaps not as pronounced. In a way, being part of the UCL200 celebrations helps me feel connected to past UCL personalities I admire, such as G. K. Chesterton, Bin Cheng and Christopher Nolan.

If you could give one piece of advice to future scholarship applicants, what would it be?

Most PhD scholarships are primarily merit-based. While a solid academic background or relevant work experience may help with admission to the programme, the research proposal is central to securing a scholarship. One first needs to draft a proposal they genuinely believe in; it is then important to find a faculty member who also believes in it enough to support it through the scholarship selection process.

If someone were thinking about supporting scholarships like yours, what would you tell them about the difference it makes?

It is essential to enabling legal research at doctoral level. It not only supports the student’s career but also helps generate a global public good: knowledge created by talented researchers attracted to a world-class institution, all at a comparatively modest cost.

What contribution do you hope your research will make to your field or to society?

I hope my research will contribute to rationalising a system fraught with distributional imbalances. The current framework of ocean governance relies heavily on the responsibilisation of flag States, including those offering open registries. However, it is often the home States of major ocean users that reap most of the benefits without corresponding responsibilities, particularly with regard to the marine environment and human rights at sea.

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