Senior research professor (ZAPBOF)

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Department: Department of Communication Studies
Regime Full-time

Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape.

As part of its dynamic research policy, and supported by the University Research Fund (Dutch: Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds, BOF), the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp has the following full-time vacancy:

Senior research professor (ZAPBOF)

Position

As a member of the Senior Academic Staff (Dutch: Zelfstandig Academisch Personeel, ZAP), you will contribute to the University of Antwerp’s three core tasks: research, services and education. Your role will also include organisational and managerial tasks. As a research professor, your role will consist primarily of academic research with a degree of involvement in the educational programmes for a maximum of 10 years.

Research

  • You will expand high-quality scientific research in the area of Media Production of Prison Communities. Your research must show the potential of establishing a dialogue between media and visual studies and provide innovative methodological insight. You will work in the Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center which is focused on fundamental and applied research of communication processes and issues with a visual dimension.
  • Your research should be interdisciplinary and transnational and examine media forms created by people impacted by prison systems in different sites proposing alternative models of criminal justice.
  • The project should give a new direction to media research by showing how media can create safer societies without surveilling people but as a community resource for participation.
  • Your research should combine literature, art, criminology, digital media and ethnicity studies and initiate new lines of research for ViDi.
  • You will also participate in ongoing research programmes.
  • You will acquire and manage national and international research funding.
  • You will publish in international journals and specialist literature.
  • You will develop an international scientific network.
  • You will supervise Master’s, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

Services

  • You will play a role in the provision of both academic services and service to society, within the institution and externally. You will participate in student recruitment, boards and committees, popular science communication, and so on.

Education

  • You will provide high-quality education in Communication, Media and Visual Studies.
  • You will be teaching at least one course in the Master of Film Studies and Visual Culture starting from academic year 26-27.
  • You will play a role in developing activating, student-centred and competence-driven programme components and study programmes.
  • You will supervise students and their Bachelor and Master dissertations.

Organisation and leadership

  • You will accept coordinating responsibilities in the core tasks of research, services and/or education and you will contribute to policy.
  • Your leadership style will be motivating and coaching. You will be attentive to your employees’ growth and development processes.

Profile

  • You hold a PhD in Comparative Literature.
  • You can demonstrate a minimum of two years of postdoctoral experience (when you start work, at the latest).
  • You have developed an international academic portfolio and you conduct high-quality academic research.
  • You acquired an advanced grant from the European Research Council that will be hosted at the University of Antwerp. The grant needs to be in the field of Communication Science and focus on Media Productions in Prison Communities. This is a necessary condition for being eligible.
  • Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
  • Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision. You are motivated to develop your teaching skills further through the professionalisation opportunities available.
  • If you do not speak Dutch, the administrative language of the university, you should be willing to obtain a CEFR B2 level of proficiency in Dutch within five years after your appointment. As soon as you take on teaching duties as a programme component coordinator, you should be able to demonstrate a CEFR C1 level of proficiency in the language of instruction. The University of Antwerp supports international staff members through an integration trajectory and offers tailor-made language coaching in compliance with Flanders’ statutory language regulations.
  • You demonstrate leadership potential and organisational skills.
  • You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.

What we offer

  • We offer a full-time ZAPBOF appointment. The level of your appointment (associate professor, professor or full professor) is determined on the basis of your professional experience and academic qualifications. The appointment leads to permanent appointment (tenure) after a maximum of three years and following a favourable performance appraisal.
  • You hold the position of research professor with limited teaching responsibilities for a maximum of ten years, allowing you to further strengthen your research portfolio. This ZAPBOF period is then followed by a standard position as a member of the Tenured Senior Academic Staff with a mixture of teaching, research and service responsibilities.
  • We offer an attractive starter package consisting of a four-year PhD project (upon positive evaluation of your PhD project proposal) and €15 000 of consumables to boost your research from the start of your employment at the University of Antwerp.
  • Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scales for Senior Academic Staff.
  • You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
  • The planned start date is 1 June 2026 or as soon as possible after that date.
  • You will do most of your work at De Meerminne in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
  • Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here and discover all the other benefits.

Want to apply?

 

  • You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 19 November 2025 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
    • your motivation letter,
    • the completed job application appendix for ZAP,
    • your academic CV,
    • a detailed research proposal for the next five years (approx. 5000 words),
    • a report on your previous scientific research activities (max. 1000 words),
    • a scientific abstract of the research plan of max. 500 words or 4000 characters.

All documents must be submitted in English.

  • The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the possible next step(s) in the selection procedure. If you are invited to the selection interview, you will also be asked to propose a topic for a four-year PhD project.
  • If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact paoloshfavero@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the typical appointment framework for this research role, please contact the (TT)ZAPBOF officer in the Department of Research Affairs & Innovation, Mirella Marini (0032 3 265 45 58) or Birgit Houben (0032 3 265 31 39).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

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