PhD researcher in economics and finance – Brussels, Belgium

1 – Working at the VUB

Freedom, equality and solidarity have been central to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel for over more than 50 years. These values are also very much alive on our campuses, among students and staff alike. Here you will find a colourful mix of personalities who all have one thing in common: they are innovators pur sang who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4.000 employees spread over 4 campuses, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer in Brussels, the vibrating international capital of the European Union.

The VUB is a humanist university. Teaching and research at the VUB are grounded in the principles of free inquiry with an eye to humanistic values. We consider each person to be free, equal, and connected. Free to form an opinion based on free research, without regard to arguments based purely on authority. Equal in the sense that no one is more or less than another, regardless of social or ethnic origin. And connected because we all live together, face the same challenges, and want to be treated with respect.

The VUB is autonomous and managed democratically. As such, we guarantee fundamental freedoms within our university, as well as the right of the university community to be involved in making and checking university policy.

2 – Position description

The Faculty Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, Department Business, is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant.

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

• Methodological research on text analytics for economic and financial applications. You will be a member of an interdisciplinary research team developing methods to extract useful information from textual data.
• The research will be connected to the ongoing research developments in “Sentometrics” (economic, ESG and financial signals from company reports, web data and news data) and “Innometrics” (insights about innovation from research applications, patents and publications).At the start of the doctoral work, you will further elaborate the doctoral theme and research tasks in consultation with the supervisor and, if applicable, the co-supervisor (s).
• Your work package in terms of teaching consists mainly of the coordination and support for the courses Research Methods and Bachelor papers, as well as support for the exams and the guidance of students in the context of their research paper and master thesis, in connection with you PhD research.
• You will contribute to the daily functioning of the department.

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 obtained a master degree in a relevant field, such as business engineering, applied economics, economics, business and technology, management, international business, statistics, mathematics, artificial intelligence, digital text analysis.

• • You have excellent study results.
  • You are interested in research methods and data science.
  • You have an excellent knowledge of both Dutch and English.
  • You are an enthusiastic teacher and a motivated researcher.

• 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.

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 15/09/2023.

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’ll enjoy various benefits:

• Full reimbursement for your home-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, or compensation if you come by bike;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• The space to form your job content and continuously learn via VUB LRN;
• Excellent facilities for sport and exercise;
• Ecocheques;
• Delicious meals at attractive prices in our campus restaurants;
• An open, family-friendly work environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract).

5 – Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Send us ONLINE and at the latest on 30/06/2023 your CV, letter of motivation and the highest degree you’ve attained (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact prof. Kris Boudt at kris.boudt@vub.be or on 00 32 2 6148352.

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