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Professor in Digital Methods

Category:  Academic Staff & Researchers

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 part-time professor. 

 

More concretely your work package contains: 

 

Education and Research domain:

 

Digitale Methods

 

Education tasks:

 

You will be required to supervise master and/or PhD students and to teach at least one (methods) course.

 

Research tasks:

 

  • You will be required to conduct research in the field of digital methods. This research focuses on methods that repurpose the affordances of social media for the study of antagonistic narratives and discourses;
  • You are expected to publish in peer-reviewed academic journals. 

 

Other tasks:

 

You will submit national and international research grants to complement the research priorities within the Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation and the Brussels School of Governance and further a joint research agenda.

 

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 must a hold a PhD degree in Political, Social or Communication Sciences, (Digital) Humanities, Media Studies, Computational Social Sciences, Data Sciences, or a closely related discipline. The topic of your PhD thesis should be relevant to the subject area of the vacancy.

 

  • Experience with management of project research, the acquisition of external research funding, as well as the ability to formulate (European) policy-relevant recommendations are considered an asset;
  • You have an active research agenda (as evidenced by international peer-reviewed publications) that relates to the research priorities of the Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation and the Brussels School of Governance;
  • If you have an interdisciplinary background we especially encourage you to apply;
  • Experience with international research stays or appointments outside of Belgium will be considered a strong asset.

 

 

  • You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website.

 

  • Every first appointment is dependent upon the successful delivery of a teaching session.  

 

  • Language regulations:

A member of the academic staff who is entrusted with a teaching assignment must also be able to demonstrate that the language of instruction is known at ERK level C1 through a qualification certificate or through an adequate diploma. The VUB also provides courses in, for example, academic English.

 

The administrative language of the VUB is Dutch. In case of insufficient knowledge of Dutch, the VUB will provide an integration course. After a maximum of five years, a member of the academic staff must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the administrative language (ERK level B2).

 

For a complete overview, please consult the complete language regulations on https://jobs.vub.be/content/Regulations-concerning-language-proficiency/. 

 

Certificates demonstrating knowledge of the language can already be added to the application. 

 

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 an appointment as professor, for an assignment of 0.2 FTE, for 3 years (renewable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the activities), with planned starting date 01/11/2025. 

 

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

 

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 05/10/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

  • your curriculum vitae;
  • your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni) and language certificates.
  • Academic portfolio with comprehensive detail: teaching, research, societal and scientific contributions, managerial responsibilities, 5 most important achievements in the past 5 years;
  • A concise statement of the reason for applying, with an emphasis on scientific independence, experience in research management, involvement in maintaining a project portfolio, guidance of doctoral students (if applicable), and including an explanation on the future research agenda (max. 2 A4).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

  • step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
  • step 2: on the basis of a trial lesson, a presentation and a selection interview, the selection committee identifies your competences;
  • step 3: a final interview with the dean for the first ranked candidate.

 

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Laura De Decker at jobs_bsog@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. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS VACANCY?

You can contact the person mentioned in the job description.

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