Full-time Postdoctoral Researcher « Global Digital Technology » – Brussels, Belgium

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 Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Department Geography, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher.

More concretely your work package contains:

Cosmopolis: Centre for Urban Research (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium) is seeking to attract a full-time postdoctoral researcher in the context of the project “Global Digital Technology Networks: Charting the Intersections of Finance and Big Tech” funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and coordinated by David Bassens.

You will collaborate with the PI and a predoctoral researcher to achieve collective research goals. You will be involved in tracing regulatory developments regarding cloud banking in the US, EU, and China and study how banks in each of these regions use the cloud in day-to-day-practice.

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

3 – Profile

What do we expect from you?

PhD in Geography or a related relevant discipline

You have built expertise in platform finance, FinTech, and/or Big Tech, and has excellent expertise in analysing both qualitative and quantitative financial data sources. Familiarity with one of the non-European research contexts (i.e. China or the United States) is considered to be a strong asset and will be reviewed in terms of complementarity with the predoctoral researcher.

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 contract, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 12 months (extendable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the research activities), with planned starting date 01/05/2024.

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 01/03/2024, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your transcript of records of your bachelor’s and master’s degrees;
• your dissertation;
• the contact details of two academic references;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof. David Bassens at david.bassens@vub.be or on 02/629 33 87.

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.