Dutch required - PhD in 'Diversity & Equality policies in higher education'

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. 

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

You will pursue a PhD in alignment with the objectives and activities of the SBO project ENGINE (Tackling the Ethnic Gap in Higher Education). ENGINE is a consortium-based project funded by FWO under the SBO funding scheme. The project aims to address the societal issue of ethnic inequalities in higher education institutions (HEIs), commonly referred to as the 'ethnic gap.' This gap is characterized by the underrepresentation, lower academic performance, reduced well-being, and diminished sense of belonging among students from ethnic minority groups compared to their majority counterparts. Through rigorous scientific research, the project intends to develop a 'Close-the-Gap toolkit' to significantly reduce this ethnic gap and harness the potential of the diverse youth in Flanders (Belgium) The research and tools will be developed in collaboration with various societal partners, particularly with (ethnic minority) student organizations, who are co-initiators of this project. We are seeking PhD candidates who are passionate about researching and addressing ethnic/racial inequality in higher education and to develop tools that promote equity. 

You will contribute to the development of the second work package, which examines the role of HEI's Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) Policies in fostering an inclusive climate and reducing the ethnic gap in higher. This  WP also aims to unravel the contextual factors for the successful implementation of evidence-based good-practice examples.  This will be achieved by describing and explaining how different types of policies and initiatives contribute to these aims. The research will be realized by using several complementary methods: a qualitative content analysis of policy documents, interviews with policymakers, a multi-level regression analysis correlating the policy analysis with the student survey results, and video interviews with initiators and implementors of good practice examples. 

Integration into the SBO 'ENGINE' project consortium team composed of PhDs, post-doctoral researchers and junior and senior professors affiliated to various research groups and entities in three Flemish Universities: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BIRMM, BSOG-C-MDJ & MILO),  KUleuven (LABO) and Universiteit Hasselt (R4D, School of Social Sciences) in co-creation with (ethnic minority) student organisations. The team will hold monthly full-day seminars and meetings allowing you to exchange with the other team members and receive feedback.
You will be working with Prof. Ilke Adam (VUB) and co-supervised by Prof. Dounia Bourabain (UHasselt). 

Further details about the overall project and other work packages can be found here.

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 completed a Master's degree in the fields of political science, sociology, anthropology or equivalent.

• You have demonstrable experience in qualitative research methods, quantitative skills being an asset;
• You are familiar with (research and) theory surrounding ethnic, racial or intersectional (in)equalities (in higher education; 
• You are fluent in Dutch, which is a requirement for the fieldwork, the writing of policy reports and the development of the tools; 
• You have strong writing and communication skills in English;
• You demonstrated a strong academic performance at BSc and MSc's, or equivalent through relevant research experience;
• You have the ability to work independently and proactively, ensuring timely and thorough completion of research tasks. You are not deterred by challenges in information gathering and enjoy engaging with experts in the field;  
• You have the capacity and willingness to work in close conjunction with other PhD and post-doctoral researchers and stimulate co-creation with (ethnic minority) student(s) (organisations).

• 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 01/01/2025. 

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 13/10/2024, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents in one PDF, in the order as listed below:

• A cover letter that details your fit with the project (2 pages max). Please include contact details of 2 referees (references will only be requested from shortlisted candidates). 
• A CV with detailed information on your academic track  
• A short research proposal on how you would conduct this WP2 research into how institutional DEI policies in Flanders foster an inclusive diversity climate and,in turn, reduce the ethnic gap; and/or how contextual factors allow or impede successful implementation of evidence-based good-practice examples elsewhere (max 1000 words) 
• A writing sample in English/Dutch (MA thesis, article, ...) demonstrating relevant skills.  
• Copy of degree certificate(s)  

Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 21 October, and interviews will be held on 24 October.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof. dr. Ilke Adam at ilke.adam@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.