Professor 'Legal History'

Organisation/Company Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Research Field History » History of law Juridical sciences » International law Juridical sciences » Public law Researcher Profile Leading Researcher (R4) Application Deadline 9 Oct 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

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.

Education and Research domain:
Legal History, History of Public Law, History of International Law

• You teach the course ‘Foundations of Public Law and International Law’ (6 ECTS, First Year Bachelor of Laws);
• You teach the course Legal History [Rechtsgeschiedenis] (6 ECTS, Master of Laws);
• You supervise and evaluate Master theses in Law (in Dutch).

Research tasks:

You conduct high-quality research in the fields of Legal History, History of Public Law and History of International Law.

This entails:

• Publishing in national and international peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes;
• Conducting and autonomously managing (internally and/or externally funded) research projects;
• Applying for and securing external research funding;
• Organising seminars and conferences;
• Supervising PhD candidates;
• Building and maintaining a relevant scientific network.

Other tasks:

You contribute to the governance of the faculty RC, department JURI, and research group CORE.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a degree of Doctor in Laws
• A publication and/or external funding track record commensurate with the level of an assistant professor position in the fields of history of public law, comparative or international legal history;
• Teaching experience or demonstrable aptitude for teaching first-year undergraduate students;
• A perfect command of Academic Dutch is a prerequisite for the position
• You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website;
• Every first appointment is dependent upon the successful delivery of a teaching session.

Language regulations:

A member of the academic staff who is entrusted with a teaching assignment must also be able to demonstrate that the language of instruction is known at ERK level C1 through a qualification certificate or through an adequate diploma. The VUB also provides courses in, for example, academic English.

The administrative language of the VUB is Dutch. In case of insufficient knowledge of Dutch, the VUB will provide an integration course. After a maximum of five years, a member of the academic staff must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the administrative language (ERK level B2).

Certificates demonstrating knowledge of the language can already be added to the application.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here .

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 anappointment as professor, for an assignment of 0,5 FTE,for 3years (renewable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the activities), with planned starting date 1 February 2027.

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.