PhD on Digital Sovereignty Claims

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Brussels School of Governance, Department Instituut voor Europese Studies, is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant as part of the research project DSNS-ACT (Principal Investigator: Jamal Shahin)

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains: 

• You engage in and participate actively in the development of DSNS-ACT and its academic and communication activities;
• You contribute to development of a novel research methodology (‘the distended case study approach”);
• You support and conduct field research across five regions in the world. (travel costs covered by the project);
• You prepare and participate in joint academic publications and workshops;
• You contribute to the activities of the Brussels School of Governance, and specifically the research activities of the Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation. This will include presenting your work annually and participating in monthly meetings and contributing to faculty and departmental events and activities, such as EUIA and faculty days, as appropriate in discussion with the supervisor;
• You contribute to the global network of researchers in the UNU system, specifically, the Digital Governance Cluster at UNU-CRIS (Bruges). This will include supporting the organisation of our bi-annual meetings and contributing to staff meeting presentations as appropriate in discussion with the supervisor;
• You deliver a completed draft PhD manuscript at the end of the contract, and preferably within 3,5 years of starting.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You have obtained a master's degree in a relevant field and/or relevant work experience in the field of Internet Governance.

• You have an excellent performance record (grades or first research experience) in undergraduate and/or graduate studies;
• You have working knowledge in the field of Internet Governance, or willingness and capacity to learn quickly;
• You have a desire to engage with stakeholders from different groups contributing to Internet governance (technical, civil society, academic, etc.);
• You have knowledge of/experience with qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and ethnographic research methods;
• You are ready to work in a research team and feasibility to deliver on the aims laid out in the project outline (see https://dsns-act.org/ from June 15 onward)
• Knowledge of one of the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, or Hindi will be considered an asset for field research.

• You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 01/09/2025. 

You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.

IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 20/07/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• a draft outline of a research proposal, including the following elements: 

Abstract (max 250 words)
The abstract of a PhD research plan should serve as a concise summary of the key elements of your proposed research. It should provide an overview of what the research aims to achieve, the methodology used, and the potential significance of the study.  
Here are the essential components to include in an abstract for a PhD research plan: 
•    Research Context and Background 
•    Research Problem or Research Questions 
•    Research Objectives or Goals 
•    Methodology or Approach 
•    Anticipated Results and Impact.

Rationale and positioning with regard to the state-of-the-art (min 500 words including 10 references)
Elaborate on the scientific motivation for your doctoral research based on scientific knowledge gaps, and the issues that you want to solve with your research project. Position your research in relation to the international state of the art and ongoing research. 

Scientific research goals (max 500 words)
Describe explicitly the scientific objective(s) and the research objectives and/or hypotheses. Explain whether and how the research is specifically challenging and inventive, also with reference to the innovative aspects of the envisaged results. Discuss in detail the (partial) results that you aim to achieve, such as specific knowledge and academic breakthroughs.

Methodological considerations (max 750 words)

An elaboration on how you would interpret the ‘distended case study approach’ [1] as part of your PhD methodology, explaining how this could be used in relation to the DSNS-ACT Project, which aims to understand local and community-specific interpretations of ‘digital sovereignty’.

[1]: Peck, Jamie, and Nik Theodore. 2012. ‘Follow the Policy: A Distended Case Approach’. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 44 (1): 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1068/a44179. Should this article be unavailable to you, please contact jamal.shahin@vub.be to request a copy.

• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Jamal Shahin at jamal.shahin@vub.be or on +32 2 614 80 01.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.