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Postdoctoral Researcher –Polarization in Adolescence (UAPA Project)
KU Leuven

Postdoctoral Researcher –Polarization in Adolescence (UAPA Project)

2025-07-11 (Europe/Brussels)
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About the employer

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

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The UAPA project is a collaboration between political scientists and education scholars in Belgium and Germany. At KU Leuven, the project is led by Prof. Ellen Claes (Voting & Democracy research group). At the University of Münster (Germany), the project is led by Prof. Katrin Hahn-Laudenberg (Civics and Social Science Education, [email protected]). The postdoctoral researcher position will be located at the KU Leuven, collaborating with partners in Belgium and Germany.

Project

How can schools in democratic societies address polarization among youth? What are the structural and individual drivers that contribute to adolescents developing strong negative feelings toward peers or political groups with opposing views? These are central questions tackled in the "Understanding Affective Polarization in Adolescence" (UAPA) project – an ambitious inter-university research initiative funded under FWO/DFG-Weave.

Profile

• You hold a PhD in political science, educational sciences, psychology, sociology, or a related field.
• You have a strong affinity with the project topic (polarization, democratic education, political socialization).
• You have demonstrated experience with quantitative research methods, including statistical modeling and/or survey experiments. Knowledge of qualitative methods is an asset.
• You have experience with or interest in interdisciplinary and comparative research (preferably Belgium/Germany).
• You have excellent academic writing skills and are fluent in English. Very good knowledge of either Dutch or German—or the willingness to learn one of these languages—is required; knowledge of the respective other language is an asset.
• You enjoy collaborative work in a research team and are committed to contributing to a high-quality research environment.

Offer

• A full-time postdoctoral position for two to three years, with an intermediate evaluation after one year.
• The opportunity to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary research in a dynamic and collaborative international team.
• A stimulating academic environment with strong mentoring, training opportunities, and potential for international research stays.
• Your primary workplace will be in Leuven, a vibrant university city in the heart of Belgium.
• For details on salary and benefits: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/working-at-kuleuven

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Ellen Claes, tel.: +32 16 32 32 92, mail: [email protected] or Mr. Jan Schoenmakers, tel.: +32 16 37 31 93, mail: [email protected].

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Job details

Title
Postdoctoral Researcher –Polarization in Adolescence (UAPA Project)
Employer
Location
Oude Markt 13 Leuven, Belgium
Published
2025-05-20
Application deadline
2025-07-11 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
2025-07-11 23:59 (CET)
Job type
PhD
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