Postdoctoral Fellow Dissect – Europees, Publiek- en Internationaal Recht (28447)

→  Apply before 22/04/2025 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels Time)→  Faculty of Law and Criminology→  Department: RE22 – Europees, Publiek- en Internationaal Recht→  Occupancy rate:50%→  Number of positions: 2→  Type of employment: Contract of limited duration→  Term of assignment: 4 months→  Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree)→  Required diploma:PhD
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
YOUR TASKS
The ERC research project “DISSECT: Evidence in International Human Rights Adjudication” (ERC-AdG-2018-834044) is seeking to fill two half time research positions or one full-time research position at post-doctoral level.
Contract duration: 4 months (initially) followed by an additional 12 months if positive evaluation, thus 16 months in total.
Starting date: 1 June 2025 (or as agreed).
The post holder’s main task will be to organise events disseminating the findings of the ERC research project ‘DISSECT: Evidence in International Human Rights adjudication’. This dissemination is envisaged to consist in a) one academic workshop; b) the revival of DISSECT’s Talking Evidence YouTube series, and c) one final conference to be held in September 2026. In addition, by the end of their tenure, the post-holder will be expected to have written one academic paper on a theme explored by DISSECT.
The post holder will be expected to devote their time along the following lines:
– First month: getting acquainted with the DISSECT project and its findings
– Thereafter, to devote on average, per week:1 ½ day to the intellectual preparation of their main task;1 ½ day to the logistics of the organisation of their main task;½ day to engaging with other members of the DISSECT team;1 ½ day to the development of their own research agenda.
– 1 ½ day to the intellectual preparation of their main task;
– 1 ½ day to the logistics of the organisation of their main task;
– ½ day to engaging with other members of the DISSECT team;
– 1 ½ day to the development of their own research agenda.

The DISSECT research project
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DISSECT comes out the recognition that, although evidence is at the heart of adjudication and adjudication is at the heart of the international protection of human rights, evidence in international human rights (IHR) adjudication has not yet been studied in a systematic and comprehensive way.
Employing a team of researchers, DISSECT has four main aims:
See https://dissect.ugent.be/.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
In order to be eligible, applicants must:
– Hold (at the time of assuming their post) a PhD degree in law or a relevant social science;
– Have experience in organising academic events;
– Have experience in producing high-quality scholarship;
– Be fluent in English as their primary working and publication language.
In addition, it is essential that applicants be able to demonstrate the following:
– An interest in developing expertise in evidence in international human rights adjudication;
– Excellent academic writing and presentation skills;
– Meticulousness, organisational skills and capacity to manage deadlines;
– Ability to work both independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary and international team;
– Willingness to travel internationally if required (for example, to participate in an international conference).
The following is desirable:
– Willingness to live or relocate near Ghent
– Access to networks and resources which may prove useful for the completion of their task
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
– We offer you a contract of definite duration for the period from 1 June 2025 till 30 September 2025
– Your contract will start on 1/06/2025 at the earliest.
– After positive evaluation, your contract can be extended with 12 months.
– Your remuneration will be determined by salary PD1 to PD4.  Click here for more information about our salary scales.
– All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
INTERESTED?
Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.
Your application must include the following documents:
– In the field ‘CV’: your CV and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file)
– In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
– In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
– In the field “other documents”: an overview of your study results, two letters of recommendation, a writing sample in English, ideally an academic or research paper on a topic related to DISSECT (10,000 words maximum)
Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
Failure to respect the afore-mentioned format may result in your application not to be processed.
For inquiries, please contact Prof. Dr. Marie-Bénédicte Dembour at [email protected].
EVALUATION PROCEDURE
The submitted dossier will form the basis of a first selection. Longlisted applicants will be invited to complete a task in the week of 28 April, on the basis of which a second selection will take place. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a video conference interview, likely to take place in the week of 12 May 2025. This interview will serve to gauge the quality, and relevance for this post, of the academic and practical experience of the candidates. The selecting process will be carried out by an appointing panel chaired by Prof. Dembour
Conditions of employment
The post-holder will be institutionally based at the Human Rights Center of the Faculty of Law and Criminology of Ghent University (see below).
They will be able to develop their training further by enrolling for courses offered at the University of Ghent.
Institutional embedding
Ghent University
Ghent University occupies a specific position among the Flemish universities. We are a socially committed and pluralistic university that is open to all students, regardless of their ideological, political, cultural or social background.
In its mission statement, Ghent University identifies itself as a socially committed university. This implies that the institution reflects about the positive impact that its activities can have upon society, and that it attempts to optimize that impact. It also implies the reflection about the potential negative impact of activities upon society, and the attempt of minimizing such impact.
Research is the motor of Ghent University. Boundaries are pushed. Researchers make discoveries. These discoveries impact people worldwide, give new impulses to teaching, and provide a foundation for a knowledge society.
Over the course of its 200-year history Ghent University has built up a strong scientific reputation. Ghent University invests both in fundamental, high risk science as in applied research. The university is known for its scientific expertise in life sciences and medicine, materials and agricultural science, veterinary medicine, psychology and history, and many more.
Faculty of Law and Criminology
The Faculty provides academic teaching and services based on innovative scientific research.
The education within these programmes is supported by the innovative scientific research performed within the 3 faculty departments encompassing all possible disciplines within the fields of law and criminological sciences.
Human Rights Centre
The Human Rights Centre at the Faculty of Law and Criminology at Ghent University is a world-leading academic center. We are proud of our dynamic international team, counting many young researchers, and of our broad research and teaching expertise, covering international, regional, national and comparative law of human rights. Human Rights Centre members work on a range of thematic issues, including legal pluralism, freedom of expression, gender, indigenous peoples’ rights, and the European Court of Human Rights. Members also actively engage with human rights practice by supervising clinical projects and submitting third-party interventions to the European Court of Human Rights.
Diversity
We ensure equal opportunities, equal treatment and equal access to the vacancies for all who apply. We ensure an objective and non-biased assessment procedure. Origin, ethnicity, gender, age, employment disability, sexual orientation and other identity factors will not be a factor in assessing candidates’ competences. Candidates belonging to vulnerable or minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
MORE INFORMATION
You are most welcome to reach out to Prof. Marie-Bénédicte Dembour  ([email protected]). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.
Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via [email protected] or +32 9 264 34 36